Under the Dog Star
by Catwho
Summary: A retro-generation fic dealing with how Inuyasha's parents met . This is now AU based on movie three canon.
1. Part I

Under the Dog Star

Author's Revision Note: Well, here's something long coming. A fully revised edition of Under the Dog Star in celebration of Inuyasha coming to American TV. I have fixed all the mistakes! (Well, the ones I caught, anyway.) And there will be a sequel! (It's in the planning stages) For those reading this for the first time, I hope you like this story. There are quite a few retro-generation fics out there, but this was one of the first and I'm quite sure it's the longest.

There is even a glossary for this fic now. It contains all the original chapter notes pertaining to words and phrases. Those familiar with Inuyasha probably won't need most of them.

Also, don't forget to read the lemon "A Side Story, Part III" and the Inunatsu one shot "Inunatsu." The latter is the weddings!

Total Disclaimer: Inuyasha and all associated characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi and many honorable companies. I have gained nothing but fame by writing this (I make no profit) and I beg that you not sue me because I'm poor. About the only thing you'd get if you sued me was my Inuyasha tankoubon, and you'd have to tear those from my arms. (Viz, if you or your lawyers are reading this, could you please release volume 12 already? SHEESH!)

**_Under the Dog Star Part One_**  
_(Containing the whole of chapters 1-6)_

Chapter One: The Territory of the taiyoukai Inutaisho

The Bara no Cha teahouse of Kusabana, the largest city in the area known to humans as Kyushu, had a surprisingly delicious meat dish that Inutaisho had found nowhere else. Given that it was also a hub for the entire region's human social network, he'd decided to make it his base of operations while he finished marking his territory.

The claiming of a "territory" for a demon was more than just dominating the land and frightening away the lesser demons who challenged your claim, Inutaisho mused, as he sipped the delicate beef broth that the lovely human serving girl had given him. It meant grasping the sense of the people, both human and demon, who lived within it. It meant absorbing the spirit of the land into yourself, so that even after you were gone, people would remember it as yours. It meant knowing it in every sense, and for a demon, that meant mingling with the human population.

Inutaisho was fortunate that people found it pleasant to look upon his human form. The men at his gambling table trusted him, although he was a stranger to them, and the serving girls and occasional kept woman spoke freely with him. In just this one night, he'd learned much about the state of affairs of his territory.

Territory. A surge of pride ran through him, and he banked his canine instincts in irritation. It would not do to howl his claim in the human teahouse. In his human form, he could at least control his instincts to some extent. A thousand years of traipsing around the island had taught him that control was perhaps the greatest asset a youkai could have. Without control, a youkai was nothing, purposeless, worse than a vengeful spirit might at least wander around with a just cause.

"Hey, did you hear about the latest attack on Nigunshi?" a human next to him said in a friendly way, nudging him with his elbow. Inutaisho blanked out for a moment, then remembered. Oh, yeah. I did that, didn't I? Fighting off that upstart Inuaoiryu . . . Remorse instantly replaced the pride in his head. 

"No, I didn't," he said carefully, keep his expression lightly interested and attentive. Did I . . . did I kill . . .?

"The entire town was trashed, but amazingly, no people were killed. It's odd. I always thought youkai wanted the deaths of humans, but they just wrecked the place."

"Must be some compassionate youkai." someone else chimed in as he moved his shogi tile.

"Compassionate youkai? Ha!" The rest of the group chuckled heartily at the idea. Inutaisho hid his face with his soup bowel.

Humans find the idea laughable, he brooded, resisting the urge to lick his chops. That meat dish was good. So they laughed at the idea. Perhaps demons weren't born with compassion -- his only son and unfortunately, his only living heir at the moment, Sesshoumaru, certainly didn't have a compassionate bone in his body -- but they could develop it.

We're not so different, demon and human. We're born. We live. We die. We don't know what is to come. Why can't we get along? he wondered rhetorically, and then answered his own question.

Because youkai are too full of themselves to realize that their powers lie only in destruction, and not creation . . . 

"Excuse me, honorable sir, but would you like a second helping of that?" a gentle voice offered. Inutaisho turned to find a sweet, beautiful woman kneeling just behind him. She was not particularly striking, but her very being radiated a purity that he could smell even in his current human form. A miko? No, there was no power there, only tranquility. He allowed himself a few moments to bask in her scent before returning her friendly smile.

"Yes, I would. There is no other place that I can find this dish. I enjoy it very much. Thank you." 

The serving girl blushed at his polite words and kind tone, and gathered the empty dishes onto a flat tray. She rose gracefully, neither her tray nor any of the half full glasses tipping in the slightest, and disappeared into the far depths of the restaurant. Her sweet scent lingered in the air for several moments. 

Inutaisho had to shake his head to clear his thoughts of the human woman. Purity like that simply didn't exist in a demon. Maybe that's why they were so attracted to it. 

He turned his attention back to the gambling table conversation. "Yeah, I heard that if the youkai attacks this village one more time, they're going to offer him a virgin sacrifice." 

"Feh. How're they gonna find a virgin in this town? All the girls are married or spoiled by the time they're fifteen, and if I were a youkai, I wouldn't want a child."

"I dunno, there are a few miko around here."

"I heard that the miko are the easiest to have of them all!" The table erupted into conspiratorial masculine laughter again.

Sacrifice? All of Inutaisho's thoughts on human nobility vanished, and he felt a low, angry growl rise in the back of his throat before he could catch it. He disguised it with a cough, but that nearly dislodged the black wig he'd tossed on to hide his waist length mane of silver hair. He recovered quickly and tried to look nonchalant as he adjusted it. 

We really are more alike than anyone realizes. We're both petty, too. Tossing some innocent to a demon to protect their own skins. Cowards.

Well, there would be no need for that with him around. It was his territory, after all. No demon would dare go near the heart of his lair, because to do so would mean certain death at the hands of the taiyoukai.

The serving girl returned, bearing another bowl of the meat dish. Inutaisho nearly yipped in canine pleasure. 

"You do look happy to see it," the girl said with a shy smile, and placed the bowl before him. She stood again to take dishes to the other gamblers around the table, but Inutaisho caught the edge of her kimono before she could leave.

"Please, Miss, give this lowly one the honor of knowing your proper address," he smarmed as nicely as he could, unable to resist the sweet scent of her purity. The girl looked startled, and looked him directly in the eye in near distress. Uh oh. Bad move. He hoped that she wouldn't see the vertical pupils that even his human form carried. 

After a heartbeat of pause, she smiled again. "Tomiko," she said, her kind eyes blinking once. "I am called Tomiko."

Then she was gone, to serve the other men their food.

Tomiko, eh? A nice, human name. He watched Tomiko from across the room, and, unable to resist the attractiveness of her pureness, made plans to catch up with her after the teahouse had closed for the evening.

Chapter Two: The Promised Flower

Inutaisho sank into the shadows behind the Bara no Cha, casting a few barrier spells around himself so that none of the humans would see him.

Silly, silly old boy, he chided himself. Chasing after a human girl for no reason other than that she smelled sweet. The diversion was wasting valuable time that he could have spent prowling his territory. But Inutaisho had not lived for nearly a thousand years by acting without emotion, and it was better to indulge himself occasionally than to think completely in reason. Sesshoumaru had been the product of a mating without emotion, and in typical ironic demon fashion, the result had been an impeccable specimen of youkai without a single shred of love for anyone but himself. All breeding, no feeling. Well, that was unkind, perhaps. Sesshoumaru was young, and Inutaisho had some hope for him yet. 

The serving girls began leaving the teahouse for the evening, traveling in packs for safety in the cool of the night. He paid close attention to the various groups, but none contained Tomiko's scent. She was still inside, then. He waited for a few more minutes to make certain that she wasn't coming out, and then slipped inside, staying close to the walls.

He caught her scent drifting in the air, and it wrapped itself around him, drawing him, entranced, toward one of the back storage rooms. He felt his feet nearly lifting off the ground before he remembered that he was in human form at the moment and that humans did not float. Allowing gravity to pull him down again, he crept silently toward the back storage room, which had been brightly lit with many lanterns.

There she was, putting away dishes and utensils for the evening. She worked silently, quietly, efficiently. Inutaisho reeled from a sudden surge of desire that welled up from deep inside. Ah, so the human form still held the youkai desires. He'd never really noticed that before. He wanted her, her scent, like a spell that had enchanted him from the moment he . . . first smelled her, called him to her. Checking to make sure his black wig was in place, he quietly stepped inside, and then slid the door to the storeroom shut without making a sound at all.

Tomiko registered the difference in the air, however, and whirled around, her face lighting with fear until she recognized him from earlier. Heaving a sigh of relief, she leaned against the storeroom wall. "You frightened me nearly to death, sir," she said in a shaky voice. "I was afraid it was a youkai come to steal me away."

Suddenly embarrassed, with reason, Inutaisho cleared his throat. "Forgive me if I was intruding then, Tomiko-san. However, I could not help but think of the moment I saw you earlier. I could not be without the presence that is Tomiko a moment longer or else my soul would shatter." 

Flowery language gets 'em every time, he thought smugly. And he could wax poetic with the best of them. Several of his verses were even in the great Kokinshuu, a fact that would probably smirch his name in youkai society if it every got out.

"I too, felt the same way, but I cannot give a name to your presence, sir," Tomiko said, her tone of voice implying the question.

Inutaisho paused for a moment. His name was a human label given to him, not a real name. Older demons rarely had names of their own, instead choosing them or taking on the name that humans gave them. He wracked his brain for a suitable name for his human form, and was relieved when he found one. "You may call me Akio," he said. 

"The presence that is Akio is welcome here," Tomiko said, stepping closer, then hesitating. She turned away, her face saddening in the flickering light. Inutaisho sensed a change in her demeanor. "But this presence is not truly free to accept." Dropping the formality, and letting her sorrow leak into her voice, she said, "I have been promised to another."

This gave Inutaisho a proverbial cold shower. Youkai didn't muck around with honor as much as humans, especially when it came to picking and choosing a mate, but Tomiko was too pure to allow him to play fast and loose with her. If she was promised, then there was no help for him, and he'd have to go without her. Damn.

But when he started to reply, he saw that she was crying silently. "I take it it's not an arrangement you are happy with," he said softly, stepping closer. Tomiko tried to smile through her tears. Even when she cried, her sweetness was not sullied by bitterness, but only sadness and acceptance.

"No, it's my father's bidding. I have no say in the matter at all."

"Then allow me to be your friend, then," Inutaisho said, surprising himself. He couldn't stand to see human females crying. Youkai didn't cry except in mourning, but humans knew that some other things were just as painful as the death of a loved one.

"Thank you," Tomiko said shakily, and Inutaisho gathered her in his arms, and let her cry onto his chest. She must really be engaged to someone horrible if she's accepting the embrace of a stranger, he thought sadly. He stroked her hair, whispered soothing words in the manner he had observed humans doing. Tomiko cried like a child, with her whole being. Her scent filled his mind, and her body in his arms was soft and pliable. The girl needed a friend, he realized, far more than she needed a lover. He regretted even thinking of sullying her purity with his indecent propositions.

After Tomiko's sobs had mostly subsided, he pushed her away from him a little, and said, "May I ask, if it is not too forward of me, what manner of man has your father betrothed you to that would cause you to weep so sadly?"

Tomiko sniffled softly, then turned her simply, sweet face up to him. "Akio-san, it is not that I am betrothed to a man. I am promised to another, however. The council decided earlier today. If the youkai Inutaisho attacks our village, as he has been attacking villages in our area, then I am to be offered as a sacrifice in an effort to appease him."

The irony of the situation burned through Inutaisho's mind, and he had to stifle a miserable laugh. Tomiko, in all honestly, had no idea that the very youkai she was intended for now held her in his arms.

"Do not worry, friend Tomiko," he said, trying to project wisdom and sympathy in his voice. "I have heard that the youkai Inutaisho has settled down and will not be attacking the villages any longer. Truly, he was never attacking them, only defending his territory against invaders."

Tomiko did not look placated. "But youkai eat people," she said in a small voice.

Well, there _was_ that, but . . . "Not all of them. I don't -- that is, I have not heard that the youkai Inutaisho has eaten anyone. There have been no human causalities at any of his battles."

"Friend Akio-san, why are you defending the youkai?" Tomiko, her tears gone now, looked at him in mild puzzlement.

"Let me just say that I am unusually . . . familiar with the youkai and the spiritual world. There are bad youkai, but there are also good, just as there are good and bad humans."

Tomiko sighed. "Perhaps you are right, Akio-san. But I do hope that the youkai does not attack again. That way I can live my life in peace. Perhaps I can marry a husband of my own choosing someday." Tomiko smiled genuinely this time. 

Inutaisho said nothing, but looked at her, relieved that she was now back to normal.

"I am not so frightened now. Thank you, Akio," she said.

Her smell had changed again. Inutaisho recognized that she had accepted him as a friend, and a much needed one. Really, it was all for the best. He had intended only to scope out his territory that day, not to pick up a human female. Tomiko had helped him in more ways than she could realize. He now knew the extent of the villagers' fear of him. That they would offer him a girl . . . it was simply unthinkable. 

"Tomiko!" a voice called from another area of the teahouse. 

"Oh, it is my father," she started, and realized she was still being embraced by a strange man, all alone in a room with no chaperone. She hastily slipped from his arms. "You must go. If my father catches you . . ."

"He will not," Inutaisho said assuredly. "I will leave now."

"But when will I see you again?" she said, her soft eyes growing sad once more.

"I will . . . be around. Fare well, Tomiko," he said, and left the storage room, his minds whirling with plans. 

No matter what, he could not get into a fight near the village.

Chapter Three: Defense of Honor

Inutaisho slept in his favorite tree fitfully, dreaming of a gentle scented woman who loved him with her whole heart, until she saw him transform into his true form, when she screamed in fright and rejected him. He'd been having the same dream the entire night, and each time it ended the same way. Even as dawn approached, he found himself unable to cope with the fact that he couldn't have Tomiko, even though she was within his grasp if he so desired.

"I've been around humans too long," he muttered, stretching into the groove he'd worn into the tree branch over the course of many centuries. The forest he was in was the oldest part of his territory, a small patch of land he'd conquered in what could only be called his youth. Time didn't quite work the same way for youkai s as it did for humans. Whereas the human mind aged along with the body, a youkai only gained experience and knowledge unless he or she really _wanted_ to grow old. Inutaisho's body would stay perfect, unchanged, until some other youkai destroyed him, and his mind would remain alert and quick. At least he'd matured beyond the point of most youkai, as had Sesshoumaru. The worst of them retained the desires and control of a human child. He'd progressed beyond the mentality of human adolescence, ending up at about the human equivalent of twenty. Sesshoumaru had aged about to there as well, testifying to his breeding again. Inutaisho sighed. That whelp would call him weak for desiring a human female, no doubt.

Well, tossing and turning as the day broke would not help him retain his land. He stretched and leapt nimbly to the top of his tree, staring out over the shallow cup of hills of his land. Kusabana, the city of Tomiko, was far enough away for him to risk transforming to his true form for a good morning prowl. 

Watching a true demon transform is not as showy as most people would think. His limbs did not grow to grotesque proportions; rather, a gentle glow surrounded his human form, and his mane of silver hair lifted up in an invisible wind. As the sun broke over the hills, the light swelled gently, floating weightless of the top of the tree. This was the true form of Inutaisho, the great demon dog, and it felt wonderful to return to this body and really stretch.

His senses were far more alert. He could tell the time of day by the angle and amount of sunlight kissing his silver fur. The sharp smells of the forest existed as a fifth dimension all their own, which his mind interpreted as a matrix of time old and new. Older scents had faded to gray. Newer smells appeared as bright colors, a time-lapsed photograph covered with millions of streaks forming a map that only he could interpret. The smells called to him, and he leapt forth from his tree, howling his claim in the purest joy.

His, all his. No other demon would ever dare to encroach on this land so long as he was around. Yet, he still caught a scent from far off that alerted him that other youkai were near. Focusing on the faint wisp of youki, he finally placed it as his younger cousin, Inuaoiryu. 

Hmmm. Why would that pup be here? Their shared ancestors were all long since deceased, and last he'd heard Inuaoiryu had made his territory to the far southeast near Osaka. Inuaoiryu was much older than Sesshoumaru, who was ambitiously trying to become the youngest taiyoukai in existence. 

Suddenly wary, Inutaisho made his way swiftly across the land. The scent of a youkai in rage grew stronger, and Inutaisho's blood ran cold when he caught it mingled with the scent of human blood. Inuaoiryu had had the audacity to attack his territory. His territory.

The great youkai growled in barely controlled anger. It was not to be borne. And his own cousin, of all youkai!

The scent reached the saturation level near the small town of Yurinoki. Inutaisho alighted near the edge, his age-hardened stomach not reacting to the terrible stench of burning and decay, but his soul mourning nonetheless. A village of several hundred people had been slaughtered senselessly on his territory. There was little left of the village or its people, but he charred what was there nonetheless with a small fire spell, and sent a brief wish to the kami to take care of the murdered souls. "I shall avenge you," he whispered to the unhearing dead. Human or demon, he had failed to defend them on his land.

Then he set off to find the culprit. "Inuaoiryu!" he roared, the sound from his true form's vocal cords echoing around the hills, booming like the very thunder of the kami. He called his cousin's name again, snarling it out, smashing a few trees without thinking. Control, the sapient part of his mind warned. Don't lose control.

He smelled the other dog youkai long before he saw him. The bluish gray of Inuaoiryu's fur blended in with the smoke of the village as he lazily rose from his nest in the forest. The two cousins, bound by a common grandfather, glared at each other, golden eyes on lime.

"I see my lure worked, dear cousin," the younger dog demon said insolently.

"Why are you here?" Inutaisho asked, his voice deadly calm. He had no desire to play games.

"I had heard that the great taiyoukai of Kyushu had gotten weak. I didn't believe it for myself, dear cousin," Inuaoiryu said, yawning slightly, "so I had to come smell it with my own nose." He flicked over a tree with one finger, the great timber snapping like a toothpick. He had grown since the last time Inutaisho had seen him, and although he was not a taiyoukai yet, he was no longer an just an indifferent pup.

"Well, as you can smell, the rumors are entirely unfounded. I have not gotten weak, nor will I tolerate the senseless destruction of the people in my territory." Inutaisho let a bit of demon energy leak into his eyes, giving them an aggressive, reddish tinge. The warning was unmistakable.

"Feh, why care for the silly humans? They're pawns, just soul-food for us, dear cousin." The younger dog thumped his tail once, knocking down several hundred trees in one powerful sweep. "How weak you truly have become!"

"Inuaoiryu . . . leave. Now." This time Inutaisho let out a flare of battle aura.

"Aren't you going to attack me? I've insulted you twice now. Don't you want to tear me to shreds?" Since he was unable to get a rise out of the older demon, the blue dragon-dog rose lazily, and stretched his knuckles, popping the joints in anticipation of a fight. "Sesshoumaru is right. What a waste of a taiyoukai!" With the last word, he leapt at his cousin. Inutaisho was prepared for the attack, however, and dug his giant claws into the smaller dog's stomach, then flopped them both over and sent Inuaoiryu flying with a powerful kick.

Not hesitating for a moment, he ran to where the other demon had landed, several miles away. However, Inuaoiryu knew his cousin's weaknesses well, and leapt up before Inutaisho could catch up with him. He then began to run away, trying to lure his cousin toward a city. Since Inutaisho would have the handicap of avoiding the city and Inuaoiryu didn't care, being near a populated area would give him a definite advantage.

"Bastard!" Inutaisho roared. The two youkai fairly flew across the land, one great silver dog with two silver tails, chasing a smoke blue dog whose mother had been a dragon.

Fearing they were already too near a city, Inutaisho attacked in one great jump, and caught the single tail of his younger cousin in his powerful jaw, snapping it in half. Stunned, the younger demon returned his attack with a hoarse cry of anger and pain, and the two dogs fell into a tussling, writhing pile, destroying hundreds of acres of trees as they swiped at each other.

"So Sesshoumaru sent you to test me?" Inutaisho cried, giving his cousin a nasty gash on the shoulder. 

"Your pup? That monster you spawned doesn't command me. I came here on my own!" The other dog slashed viciously at him, but missed, and instead hit a small farmer's hut that had been lying unprotected. The scent of fresh human blood wafted out of the remains instantly, distracting Inutaisho for a crucial moment. Inuaoiryu attacked, catching his arm in his jaws, sending a rain of demon blood across the forest. "I'll kill you and make myself the taiyoukai of Kyushu!"

"Over . . . my . . . dead body!" Inutaisho roared, and slashed at his cousin's eye. The younger youkai howled in pain and anger. Inutaisho freed his shoulder from the other dog's jaw, and grabbed his cousin's neck in his own teeth. His oversized fangs snapped the neck easily, and for a moment, a fountain of blood rained from his cousin's jugular, before the youkai faded into the ether.

Inutaisho spat out his cousin's blood, growling in frustration. Why? Why had he attacked his territory? He should have known that there was no way he could win.

Inutaisho saw that he was dangerously close to Kusabana. He needed to get out of there, quickly. But he'd lost a lot of blood himself, and his shoulder throbbed. It'd be hours before he was whole again. Limping painfully, he started to retreat, when he caught the scent of Tomiko drawing nearer.

"Please, no!" the girl cried in fright as a horde of villagers dragged her along the road to where Inutaisho stood. They saw, he realized in horror. They had witnessed the whole battle, and they're actually going to . . .

When the villagers saw the youkai staring at them, they dropped prostrate, and shoved the bound Tomiko onto the ground, forcing her to bow as well. She squirmed in fear and frustration, as she they had tied her so tightly that she could not even sit up to see.

"Mighty Inutaisho-sama!" an old man cried, hardly raising his head. "We beg of your greatness to live our city alone. We offer you our purest virgin of our women to do with as you wish." The villagers cowered in fright, hoping their plan would work.

"Human, what use have I for a girl?" Inutaisho growled. He didn't mean to sound so cross, but his shoulder was really killing him. It's hard to sound nice when you're bleeding to death. 

"It's not working," the prostrate villagers whispered among themselves in alarm. "She must not be pure, she must not be a virgin!"

"Tomiko," another old man cried, leaping up from where he had been bowing. "Have you shamed yourself? Have you been with a man?"

"No," the poor girl sobbed, still bound, her face halfway in the dirt. "I did not lie to you!"

Inutaisho had had about enough. 

"STOP!" he growled, and the old man immediately dropped back down to the ground, trembling in fear. Inutaisho stalked closer to the humans, and those kneeling backed away, unable to face the taiyoukai.

Tomiko, still bound and sobbing in the dirt, could not even lift her head, but she knew the youkai was right above them.

"The purity of the girl is not in doubt. It is you who shame me, humans." Since no one seemed willing to untie her, Inutaisho decided that he might as well return to his human form and do it himself. It might make things easier if he dealt with them on their level. Hopefully Tomiko wouldn't recognize him . . .

Slowly, the giant dog faded into an outline, then a glow, and in the center there floated a young man, his long mane of silver hair and fawn's ears the only testament to his otherworldly nature. On a ribbon of light, the taiyoukai floated down, and landed softly on the ground before the still sobbing Tomiko.

"Poor thing," he whispered, and reached out to untie her. She flinched, probably expecting him to devour her whole, but her eyes widened in surprise as his fingers nimbly untied her ropes. She was too frightened to move, however, even after she was free. Her breath caught in ragged, terrified gasps.

"I can't believe you would do such a thing," Inutaisho growled softly, standing up and facing the frightened crowd of villagers. "To give up an innocent is to sacrifice one of your most precious treasures. This girl is too pure for you. Could you not even see that I was defending you?"

Tomiko had slipped into unconsciousness. Ignoring the pain in his damaged shoulder, he leaned down and picked up the girl, amazed at how light and frail she seemed. Thank the kami she hadn't recognized him. 

"Hear this, humans. You have willingly sacrificed a virgin to me. I hereby declare this human woman to be my woman. Any attempt by you to take her back will result in me being far less merciful than I am right now. You are in my territory, so I will not attack without provocation, but this girl is now mine!"

And with that, Inutaisho leapt away into the trees, leaving the group of shocked villagers to console the girl's sobbing mother.

Chapter Four: Connections

When Tomiko woke up, she found herself on the ground near the base of a tree. Several meters away, a small fire crackled merrily, and she breathed in the scent of the wood smoke.

Am I in the afterlife, now? she wondered. Did the taiyoukai eat me? Funny, she didn't feel dead. She sat up, and with a small feminine groan took in the state of her kimono. No, not dead, not yet, as her clothes were torn and dirty.

Then she remembered. The taiyoukai had come down, in human form, and freed her ropes. She'd been unable to catch a glimpse of his face, but she'd sensed the kindness in his act, and then fainted.

She rubbed her sore hands gingerly. But what had happened? Where was she now?

"Ah, I see you're awake," a familiar voice called from above. She looked up, and saw a person in the tree branch directly above her. Two white clad legs dangled above her head, and she recognized them from the evening before.

"Friend Akio!" she cried, relief flooding her body. He had rescued her! He had saved her from the youkai! "Thank goodness!"

However, the man did not come down from his position on the tree. Uncaring, Tomiko gushed, "Thank you so very, very much," feeling indebted to him with the whole of her heart.

There was a soft silence, filled only by the gentle sounds of the forest in the afternoon. Then the man spoke. "Tomiko-san, I have to tell you something," he said from his perch. "But you must promise me not to be frightened and run away."

"You are my friend," she said simply. "Nothing you could say would frighten me more than that youkai, and then I did not run away."

"Yeah, you were pretty brave back there," he said, his voice betraying a hint of anger.

"Do not be mad at my family, or the villagers. They are probably already dead," she said, suddenly saddened. She imagined them eaten – but then she felt a deeper sense of foreboding. The had died in flames, or perhaps they would die like that someday in the future. The image remained fixed in her mind until she cleared it away like the daydreaming fancy it surely was. She shivered. What a frightening way to die.

"No, I didn't -- the taiyoukai didn't -- look, maybe this'll be easier to explain if I come down. But promise me you won't run away."

"I promise," she said, more confused than ever. Akio dropped softly to the ground, and at first Tomiko didn't even notice what was different about him, so glad was she to see him. Then she realized that his hair was silvery-white and not black as it had been the day before. Her throat seized up suddenly in fear.

"Youkai," she whispered, feeling betrayed. The mental image of the village burning returned. "You're not Akio, you're a youkai." Out of the frying pan, into the fire, she thought miserably. She resisted her instinct to flee like a frightened rabbit.

Seeing that she had stayed true to her promise and not run away, the taiyoukai plopped cross legged onto the ground, and tried to ignore the still stinging wound in his shoulder. "I am Akio, and I am also a youkai. I am both at the same time. You humans call me by the name Inutaisho."

Tomiko bowed her head. So she had been taken as a sacrifice anyway. "You got what you wanted from this presence, after all," she whispered, her voice oddly hollow. She was still unable to cope with the idea that her new friend had really been a demon, disguised as a human . . .

"No! I didn't intend to get into a fight near Kusabana again. But my cousin attacked my lands, and if I hadn't destroyed him, he would have killed you all."

Tomiko was silent. She looked down at her lap, and it took Inutaisho a few moments to realize she was crying again. 

"Oh, please no, don't cry," he said, and was at her side in an instant. But she backed away in fear. "I'm so sorry I deceived you, Tomiko-san. This lowly one should never have lied to your presence." He sat back on his haunches and stared at the fire. Tomiko was still silent, but when he glanced at her, the fear in her eyes bad been replaced by another emotion.

"What?" he asked, unable to fathom her. The wood smoke had made his nose all but useless, and he couldn't detect her emotions by scent that well in his human form anyway.

"You apologized," she said, her voice and eyes full of wonder.

Inutaisho blinked. "Eh?"

"I had always heard that a youkai was without compassion. A youkai would never apologize for anything he did. Are you really a youkai?" This time she was the one who crept closer, the awe on her face clear now. 

"I'm a taiyoukai. That's about as much of a youkai as you can get," Inutaisho said, shrugging softly, forgetting about his shoulder. He winced involuntarily.

"Oh, you're hurt!" she said, losing all sense of fright of him in motherly instinct when she saw the blood on his kimono. "Akio-san -- I mean, Inutaisho-sama, you need to have someone treat that." She grabbed the edge of his happi and started to tug it off. 

"It'll be fine," he explained before she had a chance to try to undress his formal white kimono. "Youkai heal much faster that humans. I'll be fine in no time. What doesn't kill me just makes me stronger."

Nodding in surprised understanding, the girl kneeled beside him, drinking in his features for the first time. She'd seen him only in passing when he was at the Bara no Cha, assuming he was just another flirting customer, and when he had come to her that night, she had been in a storeroom with only a few lanterns to keep things visible. Now in the mid-afternoon light, she could see his smooth, handsome face, unmarked by worry or pain, his silver mane falling in gentle waves to the ground as he was sitting, and his eyes.

She hadn't noticed those in the dim light at all. His pupils had been dilated. Here in the daylight they were narrow slits. Yet still, they were not unkind. They twinkled merrily with a hidden laughter and ancient wisdom at the same time.

_He_ was not unkind. A wash of relief ran through her for the second time that afternoon. Her situation wasn't so bad at all. Inutaisho was her friend, just as his human disguise Akio had been.

Realizing she was very close, she tiptoed backwards, trying not to appear too nosy. The youkai smiled when he realized that she was slightly embarrassed to have been caught staring. But she could not remove her eyes from his. His eyes were warm, golden yellow, a marked contrast to his silver hair.

"I would never hurt you," he offered simply, willing her to keep her gaze fixed to his own.

"I realize that now," she whispered.

"I wasn't kidding before, Tomiko-chan," he said, slipping in the endearment without really meaning to. He felt closer to this human than he'd ever felt to any being before in his life, and it felt natural to speak comfortably around her. "I want to be your friend. And to do that . . . I have to return you to the village."

Tomiko was startled. "No, please don't send me back."

"Why . . .?"

Tomiko turned away, miserably. "You saw how they automatically assumed that I was at fault when you seemed to reject me. I have always been the unpopular one in the city. Even my father preferred my sisters to me. That's why I was chosen to be your . . . virgin sacrifice. Everyone assumed that since no one liked me . . ."

Inutaisho was very surprised that no one would like the sweet girl. The villagers had assumed right, however; the human female was as innocent as any could hope to be. No man had ever touched her. But to endure the cruelty of being unpopular, and then to be chosen as a sacrifice because everyone assumed that no one would want you? Inutaisho felt his hackles rise in anger on her behalf again. No, he could not send her back. 

"Then you will stay with me, then," he said simply, deciding it just like that. He now had a human companion, whether he'd wanted one or not. He caught a drift of her pure scent through the burning wood smoke, and felt a familiar wave of desire. Oh yes. He wanted her, that was a yes. Every experience had an hidden gift, and the lagniappe of his cousin's unprovoked attack was Tomiko.

"I don't know what I can offer a youkai," she said, folding her hands primly on her lap. Despite her bedraggled kimono, dirt smudged face, and disarrayed hair, she managed to look as cool and refined as any he'd seen at the Imperial Court in Kyoto. "I can cook, a little, and I can clean, but I will most likely be a burden to you."

"That is all right. I'm not much for either chore, so you will certainly be a help in those areas." He stood up then, and began shoveling handfuls of dirt onto the fire. "Normally at this time of year I'd just sleep in the tree," he said, pointing to his branch between shovels, "but I'm going to take you to my winter lair. It's quite cozy, and will be much safer for you than the open woods. The fire here was to disguise your scent from any minor youkai that would be hanging around, but in my winter home, it will be unnecessary."

Tomiko was touched by his thoughtfulness, and joined him in tossing dirt onto the fire. Their arms bumped as they reached for the same patch of sand, and the two new friends caught each other's eyes, sharing a conspiratorial smile. Soon the fire was completely out, only a last wisp of wood smoke betraying its former existence.

"Come on then," he said, and swung her easily into his arms, startling her. She started to protest, but he interrupted her. "I can travel much faster carrying you than you can walking. If we walk, we won't be there before nightfall."

Seeing the logic in this, Tomiko made one small suggestion. "I'll unbalance you like this, though. Wouldn't it be better for you to carry me on your back?"

"You're right." Inutaisho let her slide out of his arms, perhaps enjoying the sensation a bit too much, and then crouched down. She clambered onto his broad, firm back, and realized her mistake when he grabbed her under the knees. Her kimono rode nearly all the way up her thighs.

"Hold on tight," he said with a smile, glancing back, and then he took off, leaping into the trees, then bounding from treetop to treetop. With a human on his back, he was unable to turn off the pull of the earth like he normally could, but Tomiko was such a small person that he barely noticed her weight at all as he leapt nimbly across his territory.

For Tomiko, however, unused to this method of travel, it was exhilarating and terrifying all at the same time. She knew that Inutaisho would not let her fall, but that made it all the more fun as they traveled swiftly across the land. He was right; he could travel extremely fast, much faster than she could ever hope to travel even running. His silver hair flew into her face, and she couldn't resist taking a sniff of the wonderful stuff. He smelled soft and earthy, like the forest itself, not the least bit . . . doggy as she'd thought he might.

Within the space of a half hour, they'd traveled to the other side of the region of Kyushu, where the foothills began to grow into mountains. Inutaisho's winter lair was a small cave, with a beautiful little waterfall and a deep bathing pool not far away. Inside the cave was cozy, just as he'd said, with a pile of furs in the far corner and a pit for a fire still containing last winter's ashes.

As Tomiko slid off his back, he apologized for the negligent state of his home. "I wasn't planning on coming back here for many months," he said sheepishly. Tomiko took in the comfortable mess, and smiled to her new guardian. 

"I can clean this," she said matter-of-factly.

"Are you sure?" 

She nodded. "I wasn't a serving girl for nothing."

"Well, then, I'm going out to hunt us up some dinner."

Tomiko blinked in alarm. "Dinner?"

"Well, yes. The villagers only offered me a virgin, not a meal." Seeing her eyes widen in fear, he tried a more direct explanation. "Not all youkai eat human souls. I myself prefer getting my energy the old-fashioned way. I'm going to try to nab us a boar, or something along those lines. I'll also fetch a sack of rice."

"You mean . . . steal?"

Inutaisho paused. His wealth, earned over centuries from aiding humans against invading demons, was quite famous among demons, but to a human, the lands and items in his possession were more wealth than they could ever imagine. One large sack of rice could feed a village for a week, and it represented a substantial amount of money in these turbulent times. 

Tomiko isn't the greedy sort, he thought, but I don't really want to disclose my actual value just yet.

To placate his new companion, he said, "I'll make sure to take it from a mean, rich warlord who is hoarding it away from his serfs anyway." Unsure of why he did so, he winked at the human, and then flew quickly away from the cave to hunt around a bit.

Left alone, Tomiko sank to her knees, trying to understand all that had happened to her in the past twenty-four hours. She'd befriended a youkai disguised as a human, been offered as a sacrifice to the same youkai in the form of a giant dog, and been championed by him, and apparently accepted as his woman.

Tomiko's purity didn't mean she had no grasp of irony. As she pondered her strange plight, a smile grew on her lips, which quickly erupted into a fountain of giggles and then a full-blown laugh. Refreshed with a newfound sense of freedom, she collected herself and set about cleaning up the cave.

She beat the winter's dust from the furs until they were soft and supple again. She formed a crude broom from the twigs that had blown into the cave, and swept the hearth free of the old ashes. She also cleared out the cobwebs from the corners with that. Then, using a strip from her already ruined kimono, she crushed a saponin plant and began to scrub down the cave walls themselves.

When Inutaisho returned, bearing an aged deer and the promised sack of rice, he was simply amazed at the transformation. In the course of a few brief hours, Tomiko had changed the dusty old winter lair into a clean, sweet-smelling room. She had even laid new wood in front for a fire, and had scrubbed clean his old rice pot and his few dishes. 

"I told you I could clean this," she said, not proudly, but with a simple feminine satisfaction that warmed Inutaisho to her even more. Why couldn't there be demons like this? he wondered for the umpteenth time. In the course of one afternoon, she's corrected five centuries of neglect. A demon woman would not have seen the point and simply blown the cave up.

He handed her the sack of rice, and she started a fire with the small piece of flint she'd found, to heat the water for their food. Inutaisho took the old buck back outside to perform the necessary but messy cleaning of it. 

"Inutaisho-sama, when you're ready, bring that meat back in. I'll make that dish you so favored last night."

He turned, and looked for a moment so much like the silliest, happiest puppy she'd ever seen that she had to stifle another giggle. It really was going to be all right.

Chapter Five: Ai no chikara

After she'd cooked the evening meal and they'd eaten, Tomiko suddenly felt very sleepy. It wasn't surprising, considering she'd had quite an adventure that day, and she'd also done a lot of hard work. Once they'd eaten and she'd cleaned the dishes and rice pot, she excused herself to go soak in the spring a bit.

"Hand me your kimono," Inutaisho said, earning him a wary look from Tomiko. He held his hands up defensively. "I just want to repair it. Fixing clothes is one the few constructive things a demon can do."

Still giving him a strange look, she stripped out of her simple borrowed summer kimono and obi behind a bush, and handed them to the taiyoukai, who took them reverently. She waited until he'd disappeared into the cave again, and then touched the bathing pool with one finger to gauge the temperature.

"Warm?" she said in surprise. The water in the pool was warm -- not scalding hot, but the perfect temperature for a good, relaxing bath. Curious, she padded over to the waterfall. It, too, ran warm. Was it youkai magic, or just a warm spring? Not really caring about the source of her good fortune, she gratefully pulled the combs from her hair and gave it a good scrubbing, and rinsed the mud and mess off her skin. The delicate area on her wrists was still bruised from the ropes. She pinned her hair up again, and realized with a start that her hair was only barely longer than Inutaisho's silver mane. Finally, sighing, she sank into the warm pool. Oh, that felt good . . . She closed her eyes and let the warm water sooth her sore body for a long time.

"I'll just leave this here," Inutaisho said from behind her. She stiffened, but all he could see from there was her back She heard a rattling in the bushes, and then he was gone again. 

Reluctantly, she rose from the pool, the water streaming from her small body as she stepped out into the rapidly cooling evening air. She approached the bush, grateful that she'd swept off the rocks in front of the cave as well so that her feet weren't growing dirty, and plucked her kimono and obi from where he had laid them. She was stunned to see they'd been restored to new -- they were even in much better shape than they had been before her adventure. They had belonged to her older sister, who had no use for that particular style after she'd married, and while they had once been fine, they had worn over the years and been cast down to her as work clothes.

Now they were new again, the delicate embroidering standing out against the soft silk on them both. 

"Youkai . . . magic?" she wondered aloud. So this was the extent of what a demon could do. She was just beginning to realize how powerful a demon her benefactor was -- even the sight of the giant dog that morning was nothing compared to seeing the loving care the youkai had taken to clean her kimono. Of course, she still had trouble believing that the giant taiyoukai was the same as her newfound friend, who in human form looked as mild mannered and kind as any noble lord, if she ignored the white-silver shock of hair and pointed ears. 

After donning her kimono, tying her obi, and slipping on her socks and geta, she returned to the inside of her new home. Inutaisho had thoughtfully separated the furs into two piles, and was working on his own garments on the pile closest to the cave mouth. Her mouth suddenly went dry, although she was not sure why. The taiyoukai had taken off his formal kimono, and sat there, bare-chested, his silver mane spilling down his shoulders to brush the furs beneath him.

She had only see a man without a shirt a few times, when she'd accidentally walked in one of the couples in the less reputable back rooms of the Bara no Cha, or when a man stupidly gambled away the clothing on his back in a game of shogi. But this was much different. Those men had been older, and their backs and chests often had scars or blemishes from fights, or in some cases, even patches of hair. The taiyoukai's form was perfect, and the gash she knew she had seen earlier was completely healed now, so that his strong shoulders formed a perfect line and his broad chest and back tapered to his narrow, well-muscled waist.

"Done already?" he asked softly, but he did not look at her. Instead, his concentration stayed focused on the happi before him. Thousands of tiny shafts of light pierced the cloth, and as she watched, the blood disappeared and the cloth seemed to mend itself. 

"Sugoi," she breathed involuntarily. She knelt before him, her hand reaching out to touch the threads of light, but she hesitated, fearing her hand might be sewn into the fabric.

"This is probably the only difficult spell that any youkai with a human form ever masters," he explained. "Since it is hard to purchase new human clothing, we've found it much simpler to go ahead and mend it instead." 

"I see," she said. The spell wore down, and the dancing lights faded into nothing, leaving a whole, unscarred happi behind. "So not all youkai have a human form?"

Inutaisho shook his head. "Only the more powerful have more than one form. Some have a human shape as their true form, whereas most, especially the weaker ones, are monstrously designed. But the more powerful youkai have at least two forms. My true self is the giant dog you saw this morning, but over the course of my life I've always found it more comfortable to live in this shape." He grinned, and for the first time Tomiko saw that his incisors were unnaturally long, sharp, and dangerous looking. Fangs. "It's easier to find a place to sleep, for one thing," he said, causing Tomiko to giggle. She could just imagine the giant dog making a nest in the forest, destroying farms and trees as he slept.

He caught her arm, and suddenly looked serious again. "You're not afraid, Tomiko-chan? You're not afraid to sleep in the lair of a taiyoukai?"

She was taken aback by his question. "You said you would never hurt me," she said simply, gazing at him. "So far I have no reason to doubt you. You apologized for deceiving me before. I . . . can usually tell when people are being honest," she said shyly. "And you never actually said you were a human when you came to me last night, which is why I didn't know . . . and Akio really is one of your names, in some sense, although I can't see how . . . " She had a frown on her face. "You were telling me the truth even then; at least I think you were. Perhaps because you are a youkai my sense does not work."

Finally, Inutaisho figured it out. Her source of purity was not that of a miko, as he'd been thinking it was, but instead lay in her ability to sense the truth. She was a human lie detector. She could automatically tell when a person was telling the truth or a lie, and because of that, her own soul had remained unspoiled. What a treasure she was, true to her name!

Moreover, it was no wonder that the humans of her town didn't like her. Human society thrived on the polite social lie. No one would like a person who could tell if a person's words were true as they spoke them.

"Inutaisho-sama . . .?" she said, and he realized he'd been staring at her. 

"I'm sorry," he said, offering her another smile. " The light outside has almost faded now. We should rest. We'll take our lives one day at a time from now on."

Tomiko nodded, and crept over to the second pile of furs, sinking into their warmth with a smile on her face. One day at a time, eh? That sounded like the safest plan. For a moment, she questioned the wisdom of sharing her gift with Inutaisho, but as she knew he'd been telling the truth, she had nothing to fear from him, no matter what her cultural instincts told her. She believed now that there could be such a thing as a good youkai. 

She was asleep in moments, and began having a strange dream.

A ball of light shattered into a thousand pieces. Youkai of all shapes and sizes began searching for the shards, for they granted them unbelievable power. The youkai, blind in their greed, had no idea that the price of that power would always be death, death at the hands of a flashing sword unlike any she had ever seen.

Then she found that she, too, was a youkai, and in her forehead glowed one of the fragments of the ball of light. She tried desperately to remove it, because she knew that the power it granted was temporary and would only bring misfortune, but it would not be moved. And the strange sword came down on her, and cut her in half as she screamed, and screamed . . .

She woke all at once with a start, to find strong arms surrounding her. "A dream," she whispered, all her fear suddenly gone. Inutaisho was holding her, and in the faint moonlight that seeped into their cave, she could see his face, full of worry for her.

"Are you all right?"

"I think. I've never had a nightmare like that before," she said, her voice sounding small and weak. "I'm so sorry I woke you."

"That was no ordinary dream," Inutaisho said, not loosening his grip on her. "That was a premonition. Tell me what happened."

"A premonition? No, it couldn't be, because I was a youkai," she said, confused. She gripped Inutaisho's kimono, trying not to think about how right it felt to be held by him. He was so warm, and solid, not like the youkai she'd seen in her dream. "The youkai were dying. Thousands of them. They were chasing after shards of light that made them stronger, but each one that had one died a horrible death at the hands of . . .of a . . ." She searched for a word to describe the curved sword she had seen, but found none. 

"Perhaps it wasn't a real premonition then," Inutaisho said, but pulled her closer anyway. "But I do think that it was not an ordinary dream. Given all that you have gone through, I'm not surprised that you had a nightmare, but why the death of youkai?"

"No one should have to die, not like that," Tomiko said, miserably. She thought again of the image from earlier; her entire village being burned to the ground.

"We are all destined for death," Inutaisho answered comfortingly. "It is part of the cycle of life. What is to come next, not even the youkai know, but all things with a soul must have the soul's end."

"Even youkai?"

"You saw the battle yesterday morning." His eyes flashed with the memory of the death of his cousin. 

"I could feel their pain . . . that . . . thing, whatever it was, made them go mad. They lost control of their power in their quest for more. Even I did."

"Control," Inutaisho murmured, mostly to himself, and pulled Tomiko closer still, inhaling her scent again. She nestled into his chest, and he rested his head in her hair, breathing deeply of her. The sudden surge of desire returned with a vengeance, and it took all the control that Inutaisho had not to take the human woman right then and there. 

But there was more than just blind lust. He wanted to protect her. He wanted to see her smile. He wanted to keep the purity of her soul safe, and he wanted the purity of her body all to himself. Can it be that I'm falling in love? he wondered, softly stroking her hair. The humans at the court of Kyoto spoke of love all the time, penning poems about it, mourning and pining over love unrequited, breaking and forming alliances for pairings and intrigue among themselves. Inutaisho had gone through the motions in his time there, but every attempt at finding a love of his own, among demon-kind, had fallen to failure. Even Sesshoumaru's conception had been an act of business, to give him an heir and his mother the elevation in power that comes when a demon female has a child. Never had there been love.

Until now.

Intoxicated by his newfound feelings and her sweet, untainted scent, he nearly forgot his promise to stay her friend, and reached down to claim her lips. But as he had discovered his love for her, she had fallen back asleep, curled into his lap. Sighing, he lay them both down onto her pile of furs, and willed himself to sleep as well, content to know that she was safe in his arms.

Chapter Six: The Pale Moon's Indifferent Face

Day broke over the hills of Kyushu slowly, the sunlight leaking across the sky like a well of light overflowing. Inutaisho had been up well before dawn, chasing a few youkai away from the entrance to the cave where they had settled, attracted to Tomiko's purity. He'd given up and lit a small fire, and the soft smoke effectively disguised her scent to all but the most powerful demons.

Then, as he turned to survey his land, he spied a lone, familiar figure standing on a ridge, watching the sunlight. A strange shadow passed over his face, and he stilled, resting his hand against the cool stone of the cave entrance. The other one looked over in his direction slowly, and they stared for several heartbeats before Inutaisho drifted across the air to join him. 

The fresh day broke over the two of them, standing there. Neither had anything to say at first.

Finally, Sesshoumaru broke the silence, still staring directly at the sun as it gently bled onto the distant mountains.

"You smell like a hanyou, Father," he said in his soft, low voice.

"Nice to see you too, son," Inutaisho replied calmly. So. The news of his sheltering a human had already spread as far east as Kyoto, where Sesshoumaru, who was, unlike his father, actually not much older than he looked, had been studying per his father's request. It was to be expected. The demons of today considered themselves above humans, and even the few who were as old as he himself didn't understand his fascination with them. Of course, most of them were already in their far twilight years, whereas Inutaisho was in his prime.

The two youkai, one dressed in the simple formal kimono, the other wearing a much fancier outfit with extra bits of fur and armor, studied the rising sun of their country with eyes unburned by the brightness. They seemed so out of place in the rugged foothills, dressed as cleanly in white as they were, like polished and cut diamonds set in clay. Yet, it was only a deception, for within both ran the purest, wildest blood in all of nature. Their civilized outward show merely coated them; a veneer on the younger; a patina on the elder.

Sesshoumaru came right to the point when he spoke again. "The family will never stand to see you with a human as a mate. They will say, 'See, Inutaisho was the greatest, but how he has fallen! He has waited a thousand years only to choose a human as his mate!' The indifferent face of the moon can only witness this, for they cannot stand it, and this Sesshoumaru will not." The younger youkai turned only his eyes to look at his father.

Inutaisho raised an eyebrow. Either the language of the court had changed over the centuries since he'd been there, or his son had penned then memorized that little speech. 'This Sesshoumaru,' indeed.

"She is not my mate yet. I wished to return her to her people, but she does not want to go."

Sesshoumaru snorted, dropping his attempt to sound like a poet. "Humans. They are useless baggage. You should have thrown her back anyway." 

"I think it isn't so much that she's a human as she is a female." Inutaisho smiled slightly. She was very female, all right -- tiny, but delightfully well proportioned. "And she is no ordinary human. She possesses the gift of Truth. No one, human or demon, has had that ability since Tsuki no Memorii was destroyed over eight hundred years ago."

Sesshoumaru returned his gaze to the sunrise again, digesting that bit of information for a while before replying. "Truth or not, she is not youkai, and even if you do choose her as a mate, you will outlive by for a thousand years. Our clan has always mated for life. Except for you." Sesshoumaru's voice was bitter. "Twice now you have refused to mate for life. This human, and before her my mother."

Who had broken her end of the bargain, Inutaisho thought, the bitter pain returning. Yumemaru, once known as Yumeko, the Dream Inscriber, had agreed to bear his child, for motherhood allows female demons the greatest power any demon could hope to achieve, and he had felt it was time to have an heir. She had expanded her territory far across the northern part of the island while she carried his son, then, once he was born, reneged on the bargain. Instead of naming their child Inusesshou, as they had agreed, she had named him after her own clan, and then attempted to kill Inutaisho so that their son could claim his inheritance, the land of Kyushu, immediately. She had also inexplicably changed her name to the masculine form. Their battle had been long, and in the end, she had been willing to sacrifice their newborn son to save her own skin. Inutaisho had had to destroy her, a fact that hurt him every time he saw his son's face. He bore her markings and her name, for once a Dream demon is named into the clan he or she cannot change it. Sesshoumaru would be Sesshoumaru forever.

But Inutaisho said nothing. His son had made a point, one that struck a little too close to Inutaisho's heart for him to be comfortable with it. Although he probably wouldn't live another thousand years (no youkai, no matter how powerful, live that long), if he chose Tomiko as his life mate, she'd be dead before another hundred years were over. Love was not powerful enough to break the circle of life, a fact that Sesshoumaru never hesitated to remind anyone, especially his own father. Motherly love certainly hadn't been powerful enough to do it for him.

* * *

Tomiko woke to find her face buried in the softness of fur. Yawning gently, she wondered why she was on fur instead of her futon in one of the back rooms of the Bara no Cha. Then she remembered it all, and a soft smile stole across her face. Her friend had comforted her in the night. She had sleep peacefully afterward, warmly embraced by the taiyoukai.

But he was gone now. She sat up and stretched, and yawned, catching a faint drift of smoke again. He must have been up earlier.

Living in a cave wouldn't be so bad. With the bathing pool around the corner, and the forest a few steps down the rocks outside, she'd be comfortable enough to live here indefinitely. She had no friends in the village, and probably the only person that would miss her was her mother, the only one who knew the true nature of her gift. Whereas the other villagers had hated her for her clear, simple gaze that pierced through any spoken lie, her mother had loved her most of all for it.

Tomiko stood up efficiently, found her geta, and started to go outside to begin her morning ablutions. But as she tipped her head around the mouth of the cave, looking for Inutaisho, she stopped, and rubbed her eyes. Was she seeing double?

They were both so far away that at first she couldn't tell which was which. Both stood tall and proud, facing the morning sun, their silver hair drifting slightly in the gentle morning breeze. She studied them more closely, and decided that Inutaisho was the one on the right, as his kimono was what she remembered from the day before. The other one's kimono was much flashier. He looked like he had come straight from the court at Kyoto.

Brothers? she wondered. Do youkai have brothers? Families? The two youkai seemed identical as their stared at the land. Then the one on the left turned toward her, and she saw that his face bore stripes like claw marks, and on his forehead was a deep blue crescent moon.

* * *

"Your human is awake," Sesshoumaru said coolly, glancing at Tomiko's round, staring eyes. "What a scrawny thing. She looks like she's barely old enough to stand on her own."

"She's actually not much younger than you, pup," Inutaisho warned. "Don't age yourself beyond your years."

Sesshoumaru, still very young sometimes, tried to ignore the jibe but ended up blushing anyway. "This Sesshoumaru will leave now," he said. "But Father, know this: the youkai have no use for one who chooses a human over his own family. Even if Inuaoiryu was out of place in his attack, if anyone connects your taking of the girl with his destruction, your lives will be in danger." 

With that, the younger youkai walked to where he had parked his chariot, and it rose from the rocky hill in a swirling cloud of air, pulled a lesser dragon demon. Sesshoumaru could not fly like his father. Inutaisho watched his son until he disappeared, then went to find Tomiko, who was still peering out of the cave mouth, her eyes and mouth perfect Os.

Inutaisho greeted her with a smile. "My method of transportation is a bit more humble than Sesshoumaru's," he said, not wanting to explain exactly who the other youkai was at the moment. Someday, of course, he'd tell her about Sesshoumaru, but for now, it was too delicate a situation. The great clan of inu-yokai wasn't the most accepting lot. "However, my lady, would you like to take a tour of my kingdom today?"

Tomiko blinked for a moment, as she'd been expecting an introduction to what she thought must be her benefactor's brother, but she decided to let the matter drop. Inutaisho could only mean to carry her on his back again. The thought of experiencing that terrifying, thrilling flight again was more than enough to make her forget the strange youkai.

"I'd love to," she said. "But first . . . can you please look away?"

Puzzled, Inutaisho complied.

After a few moments, she said, "You can turn around now." As he did, he saw that she'd rearranged her summer kimono to bare her legs, tucking the edges up between them, to form a crude pair of pants. More than slightly turned on by her logical actions, it was hard for him to stop staring wolfishly at her long enough for her to clamber onto his back and tuck her legs around his waist.

"I think we'll need to pick up some different traveling clothes for you," the taiyoukai said, and then leapt into the air, landing on a far tree branch. She needed them, as much for her own comfort as for his. Having her glomped onto him, her bare legs riding his hips, was far too distracting to be safe.

The woods were always full of minor youkai, especially away from the cities as they were. Distractions, no matter how pleasant, were always dangerous.

**End Part One**


	2. Part II

**_Under the Dog Star Part II_**  
(_Containing the whole of chapters 7-12)_

Chapter Seven: The Death of Dreams

Near the village of Kusabana, something dreadful was happening.

The day before, a powerful youkai had been destroyed, its blackened blood spilt onto the ground mercilessly by the powerful jaws of its enemy. The body of the beast had disappeared into the ether, it's enhanced form of a smoke blue dragon dog fading down to the much smaller body of a human, whose neck had been ripped out. The human form had bled onto the ground as well. The body was mangled. It was very, very, very dead. As was, supposedly, the soul that had been inhabiting it at its time of death.

But a youkai, like a vampire, has many lives.

The dried blood swelled slightly as a gentle afternoon shower fell into the forest. After a few brief moments, a puddle formed and began to pulse again with a deep blue light.

"Inutaisho . . ." a voice seemed to whisper on the wind. "Inutaisho . . . _ai shite'ru_ . . . _omae o korosu_ . . ."

* * *

"You mean I can have them both?" Tomiko said, her eyes glowing in adoration. Inutaisho grinned and nodded.

They had spent the better part of the day in a dressmaker's house in Tsutsuji, a large city just outside the taiyoukai's territory, selecting fabrics for a few serviceable kimono for Tomiko. The tailors there, a husband and wife, had a special understanding with youkai from all over the land. In exchange for fabrics and their services their mending was done by the youkai. The couple, infamous throughout the entire island for being able to restore even the most battle stained clothes, were sought after by all nobles for their work.

Inutaisho had repaired nearly twenty kimono and other various assorted articles of clothing while Tomiko was fitted for her clothing. The husband here had done Inutaisho's own formal kimono, as well as Sesshoumaru's clothing and armor. Their two daughters, Yuki and Fuu, showed as much promise in the art of clothing creation as their parents, and they were currently fussing over which style kimono to sew for Tomiko. She finally decided on the usual, simple _yukata _pattern with shorted sleeves for a maiden.

If Inutaisho had his way, soon she'd changed those sleeves to the heavier, long sleeved style reserved for those who belonged to a man, either through marriage or through whatever other means. Even if she didn't know it now, she was now his. 

But he'd have to be careful in his wooing of her. She still thought of him as nothing more than a friend, and while he could spin some of the most beautiful and sincere poetry for her, he wanted to keep his heart honest around her. He'd have to tell her about his son, and soon, or else she'd feel betrayed. There is no more honesty in not telling a truth than there is in telling an untruth.

He began work on another torn and stained kimono, chanting the soft, complicated spell that called forth threads of light to repair the abused fabric. Inutaisho never minded this simple work. The taiyoukai as whole were indebted to the couple, so using their magic for the repair of human clothing was only fair.

Sesshoumaru had resented his obligation, and he had done his work grudgingly. The boy needed to learn that that was how things were done in the demon world. Since demons didn't deal with human money, they had to use the more primitive system of bartering, and the cloth-repair spell was the only spell a youkai knew that could visibly help a human. 

"I want a pair of leggings, too, to wear under them," Tomiko said to the wife, who was measuring her arms yet again. The kimono style would have a large obi bow in the back, and a matching sash draped over the arms to give the illusion of longer, falling sleeves. 

The woman nodded. "That is wise. In fact, I think that perhaps a traveling outfit would work out well -- leggings over a shortened cotton _yukata_, with a narrow obi. Formal kimono and even casual _yukata_ do not travel well."

"I'd like the blue cotton, then, for the traveling outfit, and the red silk for one kimono. For the other kimono, though . . ." She peered through the many bolts of imported Chinese silk, and chanced upon one of the palest green.

"It seems to glow!" she cried in delight.

"Oh, yes, that particular color does seem to shine with its own light. Let's hold it against your skin . . ." She held the bolt of cloth up to Tomiko's face, and eyed it critically.

Inutaisho glanced up, then suddenly stood, the outfit he had been working on falling unheeded onto the floor. "No," he said softly, staring hard at the cloth. It was the color that she had worn . . . 

"No?" Tomiko said in dismay. Was it too expensive?

Suddenly a faint memory passed through the tailor's wife's mind, and she pulled the bolt away, and caught Inutaisho's eye. There was a reason that no demon, male or female, had worn that color for over twenty years.

"Your gentleman won't say as much, but the green is too shiny," she whispered to the girl. "It mattes your hair. Let's look for another color . . ."

Puzzled, Tomiko returned to the pile of silks. Inutaisho had not affirmed or denied her statement in speech, so she could not be sure, but she had a feeling that his reaction to the color had very little to do with her hair.

* * *

The blood had coalesced into a rough lump, and flowed freely through the forest. It needed another body. Inuaoiryu had been powerful, but not powerful enough. Inutaisho had ripped him to shreds with only his fangs.

What sort of body would be that powerful?

The puddle of ichor paused, sensing a familiar presence not far away. 

Only one body would do to fight Inutaisho.

His son.

* * *

The wife had given Tomiko an old pair of leggings for travel until her clothing was done. Feeling much more modest with her legs covered, she climbed onto Inutaisho's back again, and he leapt into the trees, traveling back toward his winter lair. He had not said much since the scene in the tailor's shop, and Tomiko could sense that his heart was clouded. What had happened to him with the green silk to cause him to brood so?

"I'm sorry, Inutaisho-sama," she whispered unconsciously. She had gotten carried away, thinking like a child again.

"Don't be," he answered kindly. "This _inu-jiji_ just had a start, that's all."

"Old man? You're not old. I mean, you don't look old . . . " Tomiko frowned. He had spoken truthfully then.

"Tomiko, there has always only been one Inutaisho, and I am he."

Only one? But the legend of Inutaisho stretched back for centuries. Tomiko let that thought settle in, trying to comprehend the increasingly large puzzle that was her friend.

They continued on, the tension growing thickly between them until it crystallized and formed etched glass. Neither could see into the other's hearts at the moment.

* * *

The blood pooled at the base of a tree. Sesshoumaru looked down at the ground, smelling the vile scent of his second cousin's rotting life fluid.

"What have we here?" he asked softly, looking down at the puddle of blood.

"Sesshoumaru . . ." the puddle said in his mind. "You've grown so beautifully . . . I'm so proud . . . now . . . open your heart to me . . . "

Entranced, fearless, the young youkai watched as the blood began to climb up the tree.

"Who are you?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"You may call me . . . the Death of Dreams."

* * *

"What the . . ." Inutaisho paused at the edge of the forest outside his winter home. Tomiko slid down his back, then gripped his arm as the horror of what had happened to their cave sunk in.

It was destroyed, utterly.

The stone of the cave had cracked, forming a shell that was filled with rubble. The warm bathing pool had been fouled with ink, and the waterfall cruelly stopped up. The path outside the cave had been littered with dead leaves and mud. It was as if a giant hand had come and smacked the entire place flat, then purposely ruined anything that had been left intact.

Tomiko sank to the ground, her heart clutching her chest. She forgot all about the green silk as the horror of reality sank in. 

"Someone tried to kill us," she said, staring at the desecrated lair.

"Not us. Someone tried to kill you." Inutaisho reached down and pulled her close to him, and she clutched the youkai's white kimono fearfully. "This was just a warning. Tomiko-chan . . ."

"Yes, Inutaisho-sama?" she said, turning her pretty face up to him, her warm violet eyes darkened in fear. Tears were already spilling down her face, and he wrapped her up warmly, amazed at how must she had grown to trust him in the past day.

"I'm afraid that by saving your life, I've put you in even more danger." He took a deep breath. "I have to return you to Kusabana."

Tomiko let out a wordless cry, then started sobbing again into Inutaisho's kimono. The vision of her village being burned returned to her mind, and she mentally shoved it away. When had she become so weepy? It was only that she could not bear to be parted from her first real friend, wasn't it?

"Come on," he said, and picked her up in his arms, so that she could continue to cry against him.

Neither looked back on what had been, for one whole day, their home.

* * *

Sesshoumaru studied the blood of his dead second cousin. Pity, he had been glad that the other youkai had died. Inuaoiryu had been an annoying rival for status in their clan. With him gone, Sesshoumaru had hoped to claim his land as his first stake, since the blue youkai had no heir. But he was still alive, in some form, meaning that claim was moot.

"And what do you want from me?" the young youkai asked.

"I want . . . your body . . . for only a moment."

Sesshoumaru backed away from the blood casually, and eyed it critically.

"And what would be in it for me?"

"All of . . . Inuaoiryu's land. I name you my heir."

"By the blood?"

"By wildest blood," the blood said, pulsing gently, sealing the bargain with the oldest youkai promise.

Sesshoumaru, young, bored, and utterly overconfident, reached out one hand for the questing puddle.

Chapter Eight: Return Home

It was growing late when Inutaisho dropped her off outside the city. She had her one spare kimono tied up in her hand, for easy travel. Tomiko just couldn't believe that her adventure was already over, but Inutaisho was insistent.

"Your life is in danger," he said, sounding sad but firm, "and for the moment, you're safer with your family."

"I don't want to go back," she said, emptily. "I want to stay with you."

"I -," he said, then stopped himself short, and ran his hand through his mane of white hair in agitation. He didn't want her to go, either, but the trashing of his winter lair, a home to him for over five centuries, bothered him far more than he wanted to admit to her. There was a code of honor among the taiyoukai, and personal homes were off limits in battle except for one extreme -- revenge. 

Someone, or something, wanted revenge.

Tomiko was crying again, the slow, silent tears escaping even though she tried to hold them back. Even in her borrowed traveling outfit, she looked elegant and pure, whereas someone with a lesser soul might look frumpy or silly. Impulsively, Inutaisho pulled her to him, hugging her tightly, wanting to remember her sweet scent throughout whatever battles may come.

"When this is all over, I will come for you," he whispered, and daring to overstep his bounds, kissed her temple. She jumped, but did not pull away. Instead, she raised her head slowly to meet his eyes, and in them he saw trust, plain and simple. She trusted him, as she had from the very beginning. She believed his words as truth.

"Thank you," she said, and, suddenly feeling shy, stepped out of his arms and began to walk toward the village. She had gone almost over the crest of the hill toward the valley before she faltered, and turned around, to see if he was still there. But Inutaisho had leapt silently into a tree, and all she saw was the swirling wind behind her.

Her heart ached. In only two days, the taiyoukai had changed everything she believed about the world. No longer were youkai frightening, filthy creatures, but instead they were kind and peaceful, at least ones like Inutaisho. And yet, each step she took down the dirt road brought her closer to the world that she'd forgotten, the world where youkai were evil, and where she, a hearer of truth and lies, was shunned as a worthless girl who scared the honest and angered the sinful.

She would go back to the Bara no Cha, of course. Her mother would welcome her warmly, and her father would probably put her back to serving food in the teahouse. Could she slip back into the pattern of working all day that easily, now that she had tasted freedom and friendship? Absently she touched the temple that Inutaisho had kissed. Her heart quickened at the memory -- his lips had been soft, and warm, but where he had touched burned with the hottest fire. 

She had entered the town proper, now. The streets were relatively busy with the midday traffic, as people completed their errands in the city. It would be a matter of moments for someone to recognize her . . .

"Look! It's Tomiko! Tomiko-san has returned!" someone shouted, and everyone on the street suddenly stopped, and began whispering. Tomiko held her head high. She had done nothing to be ashamed of, and she certainly wasn't going to act as if she were some sort of fallen woman. Word of her return reached the Bara no Cha before she did, and suddenly, out of the front door came her mother, who was weeping openly.

"Tomiko-chan!" the old woman cried, and raced to meet her daughter with a speed that astonished the rest of the townspeople. 

"Mama?" Tomiko said, pausing, and nearly wilted with remorse. She hadn't thought of her mother even that much while she'd been with Inutaisho, and here her mother looked as though she'd been personally blessed by the kami. The woman all but tackled her youngest daughter and held her close, sobbing in relief. She stood stiffly as mother held her. Only one day away, and she felt like a stranger to her own family.

"Thank goodness," she said, over and over. "Everyone thought the youkai had eaten you. I'm so glad you escaped, daughter," she said finally, and began to lead Tomiko toward the back entrance of the Bara no Cha, where the family lived. 

"He would never eat me," Tomiko said, trying not to sound defensive, but her mother wasn't listening to her. A small crowd had formed behind them, and Tomiko caught more than a few snide whispers about her "not being good enough for him." 

Inside the teahouse, she collapsed on the floor in front of the low table in the family's main room, still not weeping like her mother, but so overwhelmed with confused emotions that she couldn't stand any longer. Her mother shooed all the men folk to other parts of the teahouse. In an unexpectedly friendly gesture, her sisters clucked over her strange outfit, removing her from it and wrapping her in a clean kimono, although when one opened her spare kimono bundle, she nearly fainted from shock.

"It's like new! I remember this kimono . . . it had a tear here, and a stain here . . .what magic is this?"

Youkai magic, Tomiko answered silently. One sister placed a cup of tea in front of her, and her mother sat across from her, on the other side of the table. The sisters obediently settled to the floor as well like so many butterflies. They all looked at Tomiko expectantly, waiting to hear how she had managed to escape the fearsome youkai, perhaps forgetting that it was they who had given her to him in the first place.

"He sent me back," Tomiko said, clutching the teacup. Everyone looked startled at that statement. Tomiko raised her hand to quell any questions. "Not because I . . . I hadn't . . . it wasn't because I was spoiled, it was because I was in danger. Or so he said." 

"Danger?" one sister prompted. Her mother was not saying anything, simply absorbing what her youngest, only unmarried daughter had to say.

"His lair was attacked while we were out. He was afraid that the attack was aimed at me."

"His lair! Oh, poor Tomiko-chan, what an experience you had! Tell us all about it." 

She continued to relate her story, although she was frequently interrupted by exclamations from her older sisters. How the youkai had been friendly and offered to take her to his winter home. How he had carried her on his back so that she wouldn't have to walk. How he had taken her for a new wardrobe, and she had ordered three kimono and been given the clothes she was now wearing. And how, when they had come back, his home had been destroyed. She did not, however, mention the second youkai, the one with stripes on his face that had looked at her so coldly that morning, nor her friend's reaction to the glowing green silk, nor the kiss he had given her. Some things were too personal.

One by one, however, her sisters drifted out, as the teahouse was picking up its evening business, and they were needed to go serve food. Soon, only her mother was left.

The old woman, who loved Tomiko more than any of her other daughters, though she dared not let her husband know, looked at the girl with the wisdom and kindness that only a mother could possess.

"Now, Tomiko-chan," she said, " tell me what really happened."

Tomiko paused, unsure of what to say. The youkai had demanded nothing of her, really; all the work she had done cleaning his home she had done of her own free will. 

"He was kind to me," she said finally, looking at her teacup sadly.

"He didn't . . . he did not try to force you, did he child?"

Tomiko nearly spilled her tea. "No! No, Mama, he made no gestures like that at all. And he doesn't eat people. I felt very comfortable around him, mother, but he wanted me to be safe so he brought me back. He really is very kind."

Her mother looked as if she did not quite believe her daughter, but if anyone could tell if a person was being honest, it was Tomiko with her gift of Truth. The villagers had assumed that he had eaten the girl, but he had declared her his wife . . . so now that she had returned, everyone would believe he had somehow found the goods lacking. 

"Well, you are safe here, and I'm glad to have you back. Your father will probably want you to start work again tomorrow, but if you need it, please rest for a few days." She stood, then leaned forward and place one hand on her daughter's head. "I am so happy that you are well, daughter," she said, "but I hope that you are happy to be back. Your eyes are sad." With that, her mother left to go help out in the teahouse.

Tomiko finished her tea, then leaned on the low table and rested her head on her hands, thinking of the last look that they'd shared. His eyes had burned with an emotion that she couldn't fathom. He had shown her nothing but kindness, and yet . . . he had given her that kiss. Even if it wasn't on the lips, it had been her first kiss, and even now her right temple was warm with the memory.

With a sigh, she cleaned up her tea things, and found her old futon in the room she had once shared with her sisters when they were little. Just two days ago she'd been in here, alone, apparently on the shelf marriage-wise, taking what little pleasure she could in doing her work in the Bara no Cha serving customers, who hadn't known that she could sense their lies. Inutaisho was the first person besides her mother who hadn't minded that she could sense his falsehoods.

Then something struck her. Never once had the youkai lied to her. He had held back a few things, yes, but he had never tried to tell her a falsehood, even before he'd learned of her gift. In the storeroom, he had said that he couldn't bear to be without her near, and he had spoken truthfully, even though he was disguised as a human. 

She lay back on her futon, and as she fell asleep, her thoughts were centered on the kind demon who had become her first friend . . . and perhaps, something more.

Chapter Nine: Dog Days of Summer

Inutaisho had not wanted to frighten the human in his care, so he had not mentioned that he knew well the scent of she who had destroyed his home. But after assuring himself she was welcome home (and watching her sleep long past the time he really needed to), he fled back to the woods surrounding his winter lair, just to be sure.

But there was no mistaking that scent, he thought regretfully. It was the scent of Inunatsu, the oldest and most powerful of his cousins. She was Inuaoiryu's older sister, and the undisputed queen of the eastern sea islands. She had made her territory in Ise, on the sea. Like her full brother, she was a half dragon, but her strength and skills had far surpassed him, making her a true taiyoukai. 

And she was quite obviously very angry.

He hadn't acted out of the boundaries of propriety; his cousin had attacked a village, a human village, on his territory, then tried to goad him into a fight. He had been acting out of pure defense. The ties of the Inu clan, however, were very strong, and no matter how justified he was in his defense, the death of Inuaoiryu could not be overlooked. Until Inunatsu was placated, he would have to be very careful.

He sighed as he recalculated the extent of the damage done to his winter lair. Even if he removed all the rubble, the cave itself was destroyed, and he could not purify the spring. He'd simply have to find another place for him and Tomiko.

He was surprised that he'd promised to come back for her -- he certainly hadn't intended to, not to begin with. But she had seemed so sad, and he himself didn't like the thought of being without her forever. Yet she was so young, and so fragile . . . no, he should leave her with her human family, and let her be with her own kind.

With a sigh, Inutaisho dropped to all fours, and began to follow the path of Inunatsu with his nose. She had gone northeast, but her scent was so weak that she was most certainly in human form at the moment. Which was all for the best. The last thing he needed was another village deciding to give him a virginal sacrifice, he thought wryly.

He continued following her scent, to the eastern edge of his territory, almost to the edge of the island of Kyushu itself, and it steadily grew stronger, indicating that she had been deliberately traveling slower than he had. She wanted him to catch her, he decided. Then, suddenly, her scent seemed to branch in all directions. Confused, he paused where he was on the ground, and sat up, wrinkling his nose, which was beginning to get tired. She had now deliberately hidden her direction. Why?

He should never had let his guard down. The attack came from behind, a blast of youkai _ki_ so powerful that Inutaisho lost control of his disguise spells. Drowning in a sudden haze of pain, his eyes burned with the bright red of a true demon, and two deep purple stripes appeared along his face. The attack was relentless, and Inutaisho fell weakly to the ground, momentarily stunned.

In a cloud of flying silk she came down. Inunatsu, the Summer Dog, wore a full woman's kimono of purest white silk, and her lavender hair was caught up in combs of mother of pearl. Her eyes glittered like two shards of jade, a sharp contrast to the dark purple stripes along her face. She was beautiful, ancient, dangerous.

"I see you fell for the oldest trick in the book," she said sharply. Inutaisho groaned and sat up, not even bothering to try to re-establish his human disguise spells. The one hiding his stripes had been there for so long he felt almost naked with them exposed, but Inunatsu's blast had weakened him considerably, and he had a feeling he'd need all his strength. She meant to fight, perhaps even to the death.

"I was within my rights to defend my territory," he said, gingerly touching his head. Her blast was already giving him a solid goose egg. "I deeply regret the death of my cousin your brother, but he was out of control."

Inunatsu's lips thinned with barely controlled fury. "Out of control?" she hissed. "Out of control? He had come to apologize for attacking Nigunshi, for crying out loud! How is apologizing out of control?"

"Apologize . . .? Now, see here, he did nothing of the sort. He destroyed a human village, and tried to provoke me. When I refused to rise to his bait, he attacked me. Never once did I hear one word of apology."

"Lies, all lies. You killed my little brother in cold blood. Your own cousin. I can never forgive you!" She launched another attack, but this time Inutaisho was ready, and he blocked it, although it took all of his energy. He did not want to launch a counter-attack, because he knew that Inunatsu was maddened with grief. But he could not withstand her attacks indefinitely. She was every bit as strong as he was, and there was no way he could simply let herself wear down.

At least this was going to be a battle in their human forms. Inunatsu knew they were equally matched either way, and so wisely chose to conserve her ki by staying in human form. Assuming the true form may have given either of them a momentary advantage, but it consumed so much energy that it was simply not worth it. Besides, she preferred the human form just as much as he did.

"Listen to me, Natsumi," he said, reverting to her old childhood nickname as she threw ki blast after ki blast toward him. "I don't know what possessed your brother, but he was definitely out of control. It was either kill or be killed--"

"As it is now! Fight, damn you!" 

Inutaisho realized that she was crying. A sudden insight flashed across his mind. She no more wanted to fight him than he did her, but she acted out of a sense of vengeance and duty. 

"Natsumi, killing me isn't going to bring him back, is it?"

She stopped throwing wild ki blasts, and lowered her arm, the tears of grief coursing down her face. 

"I swear to you, I did not kill him without provocation. All I have are humans for witnesses, but I swear this by the blood."

Unwilling to believe what she thought couldn't be true, she shook her head, and raised her arm for another volley of ki attacks. Then, not looking at him, she whispered the second half of the ancient oath herself.

"By wildest blood?"

"Natsumi," he said softly, and dared to walk up to her, and hold her while she sobbed into his arms. I seem to be holding a lot of sobbing women lately, he thought idly. "I swear to you I will find what possessed Inuaoiryu, and I will avenge him myself."

"Possessed . . .?" His cousin lifted her head, and wiped her nose on her sleeve in a most unladylike fashion. Even though she was almost seven hundred years old, she had matured to about the human equivalent of fifteen, and occasionally acted much younger.

"I tell you that he acted as one possessed. Had he apologized, or even simply wanted to talk, I would never have harmed a hair on his head. But he met me in his true form."

"He what?" This time she was alarmed and alert. 

"By wildest blood," Inutaisho affirmed. 

Natsumi bit her lip and thought for a long while, calming herself down while she dealt with this new bit of information. Inutaisho knew she was analyzing the idea every possible way, adding the fact to the little matrix of the universe she kept in her mind. Natsumi was good at that sort of thing.

She finally came to some sort of conclusion, and put on a falsely bright face for his benefit. Inutaisho sighed in relief.

"I wanted to kill you, Inutaisho," the beautiful youkai said, patting his cheek affectionately. "And I will. If you don't find what 'possessed' my brother, then your life is forfeit. By the wildest blood."

"Natsumi," he said, but she was already breaking their embrace. She leapt into a tree, and dropped her cheerful façade to give him a sad but cold look. 

"One week, Inutaisho. One week to find my brother's 'killer.' I will be back when again the full moon comes. But for now I shall return to Ise."

And with that, she leapt away.

Rubbing his sore head, Inutaisho leaned against a tree, wondering what he had done to make the _kami_ so angry with him. Now he had to find whatever mononoke had possessed Inuaoiryu, or he'd be honor bound to let Inunatsu kill him. At least Tomiko would be safe, now. Inunatsu would hold true to her promise and not bother him for a week.

And he had yet to introduce Tomiko to Sesshoumaru. Inutaisho groaned. Why was his life suddenly so complicated?

Chapter Ten: Caesura

Tomiko had wanted to rest for a few days, but idle hands had never suited her, and she found herself tidying the small stockroom before noon the next morning, simply because it needed to be done.

It had all begun here, really, she reflected, laying one delicate hand on the shelves. Just a few days ago. Yet is seemed as though several lifetimes ago that she had befriended the youkai-in-disguise. Her heart gave a soft flutter. He had been handsome enough in his black wig, but she preferred his pretty, natural fall of silver hair instead. And his eyes. Yesterday, his eyes had burned into her very soul as he said goodbye. Her heart fluttered again at the memory. And he had held her so tightly . . . and then he had kissed her . . . there . . .

"Chasing butterflies, Tomiko?" a voice chimed in, interrupting Tomiko's reverie. Tomiko blushed and cleared her throat. Her oldest sister, Hanako, had never seemed more than a distant figure to her, since she had married when Tomiko was only seven, and her children were closer to Tomiko's age than Tomiko herself was to Hanako. Her sisters had never actually be cruel to her -- not like the people of the village or her father, but she'd never felt close to them before. But now, after her odd experience as a virgin sacrifice, she was grateful to have a sympathetic ear.

"I was only wondering where the taiyoukai might be," she said, letting her gaze stray to the tiny window up in the corner. She was worried about him, too. He had not told her something, and she had a feeling that he was in more danger than he realized.

"Well, well, well. Tomiko-chan finally shows an interest in the opposite sex, and he just happens to be a youkai." Hanako shook her head. "It'll never work, Tomiko. That's why we're so glad you came back."

"He's my friend!" Tomiko said defensively, stepping close to her older sister. "And I -- there's nothing between us," she said, suddenly flustered beyond all reason. She was not embarrassed that her feelings for the demon were already showing up so clearly. She was not.

"That's not what everyone else seems to think, little sister," Hanako said, her expression still mild and motherly. "After all, the youkai did say he was taking you as his woman. Everyone assumes that he tried you, and didn't like you." She raised a hand to stop Tomiko's startled protest. "It's obvious to me that he never touched you, but now look at you. You're mooning over a youkai, Tomiko-chan. Why couldn't you just have fallen for one of the boys in the village?"

Tomiko suddenly felt a lot younger than her nineteen years. She absently rubbed her socked toe into the wooden floor. "They always picked on me. They'd whisper all sorts of sweet things to me, saying they thought I was pretty and they wanted to kiss me, but I could tell they were lying."

"Perhaps they were," Hanako said, and took her little sister's chin in her hand, tilting it up so that she had to look at her. "But perhaps they were only too young and stupid to realize that what they thought were lies was just the truth surfacing in a roundabout way. You're pretty, Tomiko-chan, and kind. But you're probably the densest girl ever to walk the face of the earth. You could have had anyone, you know. But you were so afraid that we all hated you that you retreated away, and so we thought you wanted to be away from us. And look what that led to." The older woman sighed, and rubbed her face absently, as if trying to remember something. "But yesterday . . . when you walked into the village, we all realized what a mistake we had made, at least those of us in the family did. You know, Father wept for you in those two days that you were gone. He was afraid that he'd give his youngest daughter over to be the whore of a demon, or worse, his meal. And yet you came back, two days later, with a proud bearing to your shoulders that had never been there before."

Tomiko, weepy thing she was, had started sobbing again. But her older sister continued. "Whatever happened, or didn't happen out there with the youkai, you've begun to bloom, Tomiko. Even though I hope to never see that demon again, I ought to thank him. He gave you back to us, and he turned you into a young woman, even if he didn't make you his wife like he said he would."

Tomiko frowned. "Wife?"

Hanako nodded, the smiled conspiratorially. "Right after you passed out, he said you were 'now his woman.' His _woman._ And he was quite a handsome fellow too. Some of the other girls in the village were almost jealous that you were going to be eaten by such a good looking monster."

Tomiko's cheeks colored at the intentional pun. She groaned and buried her face in her hands. No wonder everyone had thought she'd slept with the demon! Why hadn't he told her he'd claimed her as his wife? And why hadn't he . . . followed through on the claim? Was she really somehow lacking?

Hanako patted Tomiko on the shoulder, and turned to leave. "I hope I've given you some food for thought, little sister. And I hope you get over that youkai quickly. I'm sure there's some nice boy out there who'll believe the truth, that the demon never tried you, and that nice boy will marry you and you can forget all about this thing. Find him quickly, little sister," she said, leaving the storage room quietly.

So much . . . so much at once. Tomiko couldn't handle it. Forgetting her task, she rushed from the storage room, and ran outside of the Bara no Cha, towards the woods. Forget Inutaisho? He, who'd shown her nothing but kindness? She wasn't even mad that he'd called her his wife . . . some secret part of her thrilled that he'd made such a bold declaration in front of the whole village. Even if he hadn't found her suitable for a wife, he hadn't cast her aside, but instead had promised to come back for her.

Maybe he'd even be back today.

Tomiko found a comfortable look spot right on the edge of the forest, and sat down, tucking her knees under her chin. She was wearing the work kimono again, the one that Inutaisho had made like new for her. She stroked one of the embroidered flowers, smiling a secret little smile. Her older sister's words seemed to be having the opposite affect. Instead of forgetting the youkai, he seemed to be ever present in her mind. His smile, his warm golden eyes, that soft waterfall of silver hair . . . and the way he had held her, and kissed her . . . there. No, she could not forget him, never. 

Her mind and thoughts whirling with warm fantasies of the youkai, Tomiko fell asleep against the base of the tree.

* * *

There she was.

Inutaisho drew in a quick breath, and quelled the swelling of desire he felt every time he saw Tomiko. She looked like a child, tucked up as she was a the base of the tree, but Inutaisho knew that her body was quite a bit more developed than a child's. The kimono, when she was standing, would testify very nicely to her womanhood.

At least she was safe. Inutaisho had just come to check on her -- after his evening encounter with his cousin, he'd wanted to make sure that she was all right. He still wasn't fully recovered from Inunatsu's ambush, and he wasn't sure that he wanted her to see him at his most demonic. The eye spell was the best he'd been able to do, but his face still held two horizontal stripes -- the mark of a youkai.

She certainly looked fine. Her family must have been glad to see her, despite what she'd told him of their feelings for her. Ignoring the demands of his body, Inutaisho reluctantly turned to go, when a familiar scent drifted past his nose. 

Sesshoumaru? But something was wrong. The scent of his son was almost tainted, as if someone had taken his scent and mixed it with something else, something unpleasant and unwholesome. Instantly alert, Inutaisho dropped to the ground, and scurried over to Tomiko. He had to get her out of there.

"Tomiko-chan," he whispered urgently, shaking her shoulders. "Wake up!"

The girl blinked sleepily, and focused her eyes. Her entire face lit up when she saw who it was. "My lord," she breathed. "You came back for me."

Rather than admit he was simply being a voyeur, Inutaisho chose not to respond, instead focusing on the danger. "Tomiko-chan, something is coming. You have to get out of here."

"Eh . . .?" she said blankly. It was beginning to trickle into her head that the youkai looked very grim, and that there was something quite different about him today. "Is it another youkai?"

Inutaisho winced. Now or never, he thought, and opened his mouth. But he was too late.

Sesshoumaru was already there, and the stench about his son grew a thousand fold. The young youkai slipped lightly from the trees, his elegant clothes from the Imperial Court showing no stains from having traveled across the forest.

"Not just any youkai," the thing who was Sesshoumaru yet not Sesshoumaru said, and smiled evilly. Now Inutaisho knew it wasn't his son, because he never smiled. "It is I, Sesshoumaru."

"You are not Sesshoumaru," Inutaisho spat, and stood up in front of Tomiko, whose eyes were as wide as the first time she'd seen the elegant youkai. He powered up a ki blast in his arm, ready to destroy the imposter to defend the human, if necessary.

"You would kill your own son, Father? Not a very sporting taiyoukai, now, are we?"

Inutaisho finally recognized the speech patterns. "Inuaoiryu," he roared, "how dare you possess my son!"

The two youkai were absorbed in a world all their own, but that was fine for Tomiko, because for her, the bottom had fallen out of the world. She felt the wind rush to her ears, and she could not see, nor think, nor hear. 

His son. Inutaisho had a son. That other demon, the one she'd thought was his brother, was his son. Her mind repeated the phrase over and over again, like a mantra, but she could not quite comprehend what it meant. He had a son.

Finally, a few gears in her brain started clicking, and the full impact of the mantra sunk in. If Inutaisho has a son, she thought slowly, then that probably means he already has a wife . . . a mate . . . a woman.

"I am not Inuaoiryu at all, dearest Inutaisho-sama. I am one who you have forgotten. For a weak human, it seems," the Not-Quite-Sesshoumaru said, and sent a contemptible glance over to Tomiko, who was staring blankly into space while the implications of the scenario replayed in her thoughts. "No matter. I shall simply settle for killing you both!" The Not-Quite-Sesshoumaru leapt at Inutaisho, its right hand glowing green. 

Inutaisho snatched the numb Tomiko up just in time, and jumped into a tree, where he set her on a branch. She clung to the truck of the tree, lemur-like, still not quite in touch with the waking world. Then he leapt back down, trying to figure out what the hell had just happened to his son. His right hand had never glowed green before. If a stronger youkai possessed a weaker one, then that youkai could grant its powers to the weaker, but only one clan of all the youkai had poisons . . .

The Dreamers. Inutaisho drew in a sharp breath. "Yumeko?" he said, hardly daring to believe what could only be the truth.

"That's Yumemaru to you, Inutaisho. I see am I not forgotten by you, dear Inutaisho-sama," the Not-Quite-Sesshoumaru said. "Sesshoumaru has grown up quite nicely, yes? And he took so well to my poisons." It cracked the knuckles on its right hand, and smiled that frightening smile again. "And now, you shall die, Inutaisho-sama." It tensed for a moment, coiled, ready to spring.

The action on the ground below finally seeped into Tomiko's mind. Her lord looked so absolutely torn. Her heart broke for him, and in her mind, she made what was probably the stupidest, rashest snap decision ever made by a human being. Since Inutaisho was unable to attack the other demon, his own son, she'd have to do it for him. 

The other demon was right below her now, as they two combatants were slowly circling as they assessed each other's strength. And when she felt it was precisely the right moment, she leapt.

The Not-Quite-Sesshoumaru never knew what hit him until it was over. Unable to bear the touch of Tomiko's pure soul, the evil spirit that had invaded the young demon fled the body immediately, leaving the human girl sprawled over an unconscious Sesshoumaru. Inutaisho was there instantly, his sensitive nose detecting that the mononoke had fled. 

From overhead, a wicked cackle echoed down, and Tomiko and Inutaisho both looked up. A beautiful translucent woman, her hair the color of the ocean, her gown glowing in a garish, glowing green, grinned. The mononoke was larger than life, and around her an evil aura blew the air hard enough to stir up a dust cloud in the afternoon light.

"Well, so it seems your human has a secret weapon, Inutaisho," the woman said, and grinned lazily. "But I have many weapons myself. I shall kill you, dear Inutaisho, before you know it." And with that the mononoke drifted away.

Tomiko was still sitting on Sesshoumaru, dumbfounded, unable to tear her eyes away from the fading spirit. Beneath her, the younger youkai groaned as he regained his senses. 

"Sesshoumaru," Inutaisho whispered quickly. Tomiko scampered off him, and Sesshoumaru sat up, rubbing his face irritably. 

The younger youkai glared at the human. "You didn't have to land on me so hard."

"I'm sorry!"

"Boy, you ought to be thanking her for saving your life. Tomiko, there's no need to apologize to that insolent whelp." Sesshoumaru gave his father a cold, angry look. 

"Who the hell was that, anyway, Father?"

Inutaisho took a deep breath, but it would be better to just go on and say it now, get it out in the open, before more shit hit the paper fan, so to speak.

"That, Sesshoumaru, was your mother."

Tomiko, unable to stand any more shocks to her already tormented soul, promptly passed out.

Chapter 11: Family Matters

Sesshoumaru stood up, brushing the dust off his pants, pretending as if he hadn't just sworn. He'd never been one for cursing, preferring to let his withering glance alone speak for him, but his possession had apparently been enough to break even his own icy resolve.

Tomiko had collapsed gracefully on the ground in her swoon. Inutaisho sighed and picked her up, easily swinging her light weight into his arms.

"Father" Sesshoumaru said, suddenly looking painfully young, "you said that mother had died." His voice was back to normal; cold, unfeeling. But his eyes held a light of infinite sadness. Sesshoumaru had never known his mother, and Inutaisho had never told him the full story -- that Yumeko had, in her madness, been willing to kill her own son to defeat Inutaisho.

"She did. But someone . . . or something, more likely, has brought her back from the dead. That mononoke has the form of your mother, and the memories, but the Yumeko that was your mother died long before her physical form did, lost in her own mad world. I don't think that mononoke has her soul."

Sesshoumaru nodded sadly, then flexed his right hand unconsciously. No doubt Yumemaru's poison still remained in his body, and since she was his own mother, she had perhaps even awakened some of the abilities she had bequeathed to him from her side of the family. Her clan specialized in poisons as well as very strong magic, magic strong enough to resurrect the body of a dead youkai -- or human.

"What was she like?"

The question was so unlike him that Inutaisho nearly jumped in surprise. Sesshoumaru had never asked about his mother before. "Your mother . . .Yumeko was . . . a great beauty. And she was one of the most powerful youkai I had ever met. She was kind enough, and refined, but so ethereal that I hardly ever believed she was real."

"You didn't love her, though."

Inutaisho closed his eyes. "No. I never understood why she agreed to bear my heir, especially as only a business contract. She could have been the mate of any youkai in the world, many of whom were far more powerful than me. I did not expect her to be the one to accept the proposition. And . . . afterward, she changed. She gradually lost contact with me and with our whole clan, even as her power increased with maternity. She even changed her name to reflect the masculine gender."

"And she went mad." Sesshoumaru flexed his hand again, and brought it up this time to stare at his palm, which still glowed faintly from Yumemaru's possession. "While she controlled my mind . . . all I could feel was an overwhelming hatred for you, a hatred with no sense, no control. I wanted to see you rot in hell. But . . . beside it, beside that intense hatred, there was burning passion, almost as deep as her hate."

Inutaisho said nothing, but stared at his son. Yumeko had . . . loved him? Was that it? Was that what had sent her over the edge?

The youkai were silent for a long moment, the soft afternoon wind blowing their white hair into gentle tangles. Tomiko stirred, agitated by something, in Inutaisho's arms, but she did not look as though she would be joining the waking world any time soon.

"You need to take that human girl back to her village," Sesshoumaru finally said. 

Inutaisho agreed, although his heart was torn. With the mononoke of Yumemaru after his blood, there was no way he'd be able to protect a girl and fight without worry. She looked so small in his arms, so fragile, as if she might break if he but held her the wrong way. 

The youkai started to leave the forest, when the stench of blood -- human blood -- suddenly drifted past their noses.

"The village," Inutaisho growled, and without another word he took off, racing as fast as a youkai could with a human in his arms. Sesshoumaru could not fly in his human form anyway, and so followed quickly on foot. They raced faster than the human eye could have seen, and in a matter of minutes, they were at the village. Or rather, what remained of it.

"Yumemaru? No, a mononoke can't have this kind of power," Inutaisho said, not believing the sight before his eyes. Inunatsu's tantrum at his lair was nothing compared to the wholesale destruction of the city. There was nothing left, nothing but a smoking hole on the ground, and a few charred human skeletons. Inutaisho felt sickened to the pit of his stomach. His village . . . Kusabana . . . all gone. Just like the village that Inuaoiryu had destroyed. Only this one had been more than just another village to Inutaisho. The Bara no Cha was gone as well . . . Tomiko's family . . . 

"And Inunatsu agreed to stay away for a whole year." He was slowly being filled with a quiet, burning rage.

"It was a dragon," Sesshoumaru assessed. "See the claw marks there . . . and the broken tree limbs, there." He inhaled deeply. "And I smell dragon spore. I don't smell . . . Mother."

"What dragon has a grudge with me?" Inutaisho wondered aloud, then the answer hit him. "Inuaoiryu's mother's clan." He groaned. Yet another youkai -- another whole clan of them -- that wanted him dead . . . and would stop at nothing to see him that way.

"You seem to be very popular, Father," Sesshoumaru said, not a hint of sarcasm in his voice. He stared out at the smoking pit that had once been a village, an unreadable expression in his eyes. "The girl's family lived here."

Inutaisho's heart squeezed painfully. "Yes. I can't return her now." Tomiko hadn't thought much of her family, especially since they'd been willing to give her up to a demon as a virgin sacrifice, but they had taken her back in. And human families were not like youkai clans. The clans operated on the system of honor. Human families operated more on love. But this -- this senseless slaughter -- Tomiko didn't deserve this, not at all. And it was all because of him. 

This . . . was all his fault. 

Tomiko murmured something that sounded like "red dragon" in her sleep.

"But why would the dragon clan know about your taking the human as a mate?"

"She's not my mate." Inutaisho said sharply. "And she never will be, not after this. It's too dangerous."

Sesshoumaru resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "You said that before, Father. I've seen the way you look at her. But that's beside the point. Why would the dragon clan attack a human village without provocation, especially one in your territory? It's a long way from Hokkaido, after all."

"Someone must have . . . only Yumemaru was here less than five minutes ago. This happened while we were fighting." Something was not adding up. Inutaisho needed some time to think about what was happening here . . .

She must have planned it that way, he thought. She'd attack me, and a dragon would attack the village.

But that meant that she already knew about Tomiko . . . and it meant that the girl's life was in even more danger.

I'm sorry, he whispered mentally to the girl, who was blissfully oblivious to the deaths of her family. What have I done to you?

"We have to leave Kyushu," Inutaisho decided. "I'm willing to lose some territory due to neglect to keep her safe until this is resolved. Do you think the clan's pup den will be safe enough?" The pup den, a small, secluded valley south of Edo, was where the dog youkai clan raised their young. Inutaisho had taken Sesshoumaru there after Yumemaru refused to give him up, and he had lived for fifteen years with his cousins, aunts, uncles, and more distant relatives before taking off on his own to Kyoto to establish his territory.

Sesshoumaru drew in a hissed breath. "You can't take a human there, Father. The family won't stand for it."

Inutaisho sighed; of course they wouldn't allow a human in there. "You're right. But where else can we go?" 

"I don't know about you, but I'm going back to Kyoto." Sesshoumaru said coldly. "I know not if Yumemaru has a grudge against me, but she better not have touched any of my lands there."

An idea occurred to Inutaisho. "Is that hanyou, the Seer, still living on the edge of your territory?"

"Makoto?" Sesshoumaru blinked. "Yes, why?" 

"Do you think she'd mind if we paid her a visit?"

* * *

They left the site of the former village on foot, in human form, because they did not want Tomiko to see the painful scar that had once been her city, and she was still unconscious. When she finally did begin to wake up, they were far enough away that there was no chance of her even seeing the column of smoke still rising. Inutaisho called a halt to their swift passage, and Sesshoumaru stopped, impatiently. It would take them days in their human forms, and he was eager to reach his true form, so that their journey might take only hours.

"Inutaisho-sama," she said sleepily, "what happened?" Then suddenly she remembered . . . the beautiful demon. She was his son's mother. And that had to make her Inutaisho's mate.

"We're going to Kyoto," the demon said, looking down at the precious burden in his arms. He had forgotten that his appearance hadn't quite been restored since Inunatsu's attack, and he only realized it when she stretched one tiny hand out to touch the stripes on his cheek. The mark of a youkai . . .

"Why Kyoto?" she said, as the implication sank into her mind. The capitol was so far away!

"We're going to see the Seer," Sesshoumaru said coldly. "That is all you need to know. Father, can we please go now?"

"Patience, son. Tomiko-chan, we have to travel as youkai. I hope you won't mind, but it's the fastest way. Here, we're all in danger. We have to leave quickly."

"Travel as youkai . . .?" she said, not understanding. Sesshoumaru had already taken the initiative, and her eyes widened in total wonder as he stepped away, then expanded to thousands of times his human size. 

"Can you stand?" Inutaisho asked.

"Umm . . I think so," she answered shakily. He set her on the ground, squelching the usual wave of desire as her small body rubbed against his own. Then, he too stepped away, and where a moment before there had been a man there stood a towering, giant white dog. Tomiko's knees buckled in awe, and she fell to the ground, unable to tear her eyes from the sight of her lord in his demon form.

He set one huge paw-like hand on the ground, so that the girl could climb onto it. She was halfway there before she thought of something.

"I have to say goodbye to my family," she said. If she was going to Kyoto, they'd be worried. And the last day had taught her that they did care, deep down, about her. She didn't want to antagonize them now that she had finally found them.

Inutaisho was caught in a difficult situation. He did not want to tell Tomiko that her family had been mercilessly slaughtered, but he could not tell her a lie, either. And this form, his true form, was not the best one for expressing sympathy in any case.

"Inutaisho? Can I say goodbye?"

Odd, she didn't seem scared at all, even though she was sitting on the palm of a giant dog's paw. Her purity still shone through, only for the first time it held a note of steel as well.

He would have to tell her. 

"Tomiko . . ." he began, with a sigh.

Her face fell, and her eyes widened. "Something happened, didn't it." 

He dropped his giant head so that she could see his eyes. The shone a warm, friendly, but sad yellow.

"I'm sorry, Tomiko. I was too late . . . I--"

"I can see it," she said distantly, no longer looking at anything in the physical world. "I can see . . . a red dragon." Tears began coursing down her face, but she didn't break down into sobs. She was getting stronger. "I've been seeing it now for days. There was nothing that you could have done . . . the red dragon . . . oh, I can't bear to look." She buried her face in her hands.

Inutaisho stared at the girl in his paw. Could it be that . . . not only was she a Truthsayer, but a Seer as well? It was unheard of. Both abilities were so rare . . . and for one human girl to have them . . .

If anyone would know, it was the hanyou. He'd been right to suggest a visit to her.

"Come along, Tomiko-chan. I swear I'll protect you. You'll be safe with me."

Reluctantly, she climbed the rest of the way onto his paw, surprised the warmth and softness that seeped through her kimono from his fur. Then her world spun in many different directions for a second as he lifted her up and deposited her on the back of his neck.

"Hold on tight, Tomiko-chan," he warned, and she did so, grabbing two handfuls of white fur. Sesshoumaru waited no longer and began bounding away over the hills, his huge paws lifted up by the wind of the youkai so that they barely even kissed the treetops before pushing off away. With a single great leap Inutaisho followed, and they began speeding across the forests of Kyushu.

All the while Tomiko cried steadily, although she never once broke into sobs. She knew, deep down inside, that she'd never see the island of Kyushu again.

**Chapter Twelve: The Hanyou Seer, Makoto**

The journey to Kyoto was still long, even though the two dog demons were traveling much faster than a human possibly could. By the time they reached the western edge of Sesshoumaru's territory, the sun had almost set, and Tomiko was fighting to stay conscious. She dared not close her eyes, though, because every time she did, she saw a red dragon with a human face on its forehead stomping through Kusabana, flaming the houses, eating the people who ran screaming from its claws.

How am I able to see this? How do I know what happened? she kept asking herself, clutching the white fur of her lord's back as they sped over the mountains. And why do I feel so numb? Hanako, whom she had spoken with only that morning, was gone. Her mother too was gone. The Bara no Cha . . . everything she had there . . . all gone. All of it. 

"We're almost there," Inutaisho said, the booming voice of his true form rumbling pleasantly throughout his body. "She lives on the eastern edge, correct, Sesshoumaru?"

"Yes, right inside the creek I use as a border."

"Actually inside it? You allow another demon onto your territory?"

"She is but a hanyou," Sesshoumaru said, his voice registering a faint note of confusion. "Even if she is a Seer, what threat is she to me?"

"You don't have much experience with human sorcery, do you, Sesshoumaru?" Inutaisho said dryly, but let the manner drop. The hut of the hanyou was now visible to their scent enhanced vision, and Inutaisho could see the small form of the Seer standing outside of it, waiting for them.

They stopped several hundred yards away, and Inutaisho scooped Tomiko from his back and set her down on the ground before dropping down to his human form. Sesshoumaru followed suit. The woods there were almost completely dark, and they saw the hanyou approach them. Tomiko stared. The half-demon looked even less like a human than her guardian did. Two small ears, cat's ears, were on her head, and she exotic features. Her skin was smooth, clear and flawless, and her floor length hair fell in soft, sandy yellow waves, contrasting with her alert lavender eyes. She wore a loose yukata of the deepest purple.

"Sesshoumaru always will underestimate humans, mark my words," she said as a greeting. She then approached Tomiko, and clasped the girl's hands, squeezing them in sympathy. "I express my deepest condolences for the tragedy that has befallen your family today. Would that I had seen it sooner, I would have sent a warning to you."

"How . . . how did you . . .?"

"Makoto," Inutaisho chided, "you should know to at least introduce yourself first."

Makoto glared at Inutaisho, then glared at Sesshoumaru. "She already knows who I am, you fools. She just has yet to realize it."

Sesshoumaru met her glare levelly, and Tomiko could have sworn she saw lightning bolts flash between their eyes. They hated each other, she decided, and then changed her mind. No . . . there was more than simply hate between them. 

"Since you're not remembering me, I shall introduce myself anyway," Makoto said, stepping away and bowing politely. "I am Yamada Makoto, the Seer of Kyoto. And you are Tomiko no Kusabana, once a server at the Bara no Cha, now companion to Inutaisho." The half demon smiled warmly at her, and Tomiko blinked, completely taken aback.

"I was right to bring her here, then?" Inutaisho said, quirking one eyebrow.

"Yes you were. If you hadn't, well, then I would have sent for her eventually. Tomiko-chan, Inutaisho has already voiced the suspicion to you that you may be a Seer. I have foreseen your coming, and I am hereby accepting you as my apprentice."

Tomiko blinked, and felt herself begin to swoon again. She steeled herself up. Must not faint . . . she reminded herself. Must not . . . But even reciting that mantra, she felt her legs gracefully begin to fold. Inutaisho caught her, startled.

"Oh, kami-sama, what I am doing? Come, bring her inside, I'll make some tea to revive her." Makoto made her way to the hut that was her home, and Inutaisho swung the barely conscious Tomiko into his arms, and followed her. But Sesshoumaru stood firmly where he was, simply watching them walk toward the hut.

"Are you coming or not, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Makoto asked, not turning around.

"This Sesshoumaru is not going to enter the hut of a hanyou," the young demon said arrogantly.

"Fine, be a jackass, then," Makoto called back once more, still not turning around. Sesshoumaru glared at her back. Inutaisho grinned to himself. Leave it to the hanyou to be the one person in Nihon who dared to annoy Sesshoumaru without fear of death.

"This Sesshoumaru is going to his castle in Kyoto now," Sesshoumaru answered her, pretending as if she had not insulted him.

"Then go already! Nobody's stopping you. And stop talking in third person, baka." The hanyou opened the door, and slipped inside the hut. She pointed to a small futon on the floor, and Inutaisho set the exhausted Tomiko down on it. He then sat down in front of a table, and Makoto busied herself making an infusion of herbs to calm Tomiko's newborn sixth senses.

Tomiko simply lay there, her eyes wide open. She was still afraid to close them lest the visions came back.

"Honestly, Inutaisho-sama, your son is the most infuriatingly arrogant creature on this side of the globe."

"Not the whole world?"

"No, there's some gaijin who are more stubborn and arrogant in the Western world." She paused for a moment, crushing herbs in a mortar and pestle as she talked. "Or there will be. At those distances my Sight loses its temporal accuracy."

"Ah." Inutaisho often never knew what to say to the Seer. Half the time she knew what he was going to say anyway. He had only met her a few times before in the past years, as she was still very young herself, not but a few months older than Sesshoumaru. Right after she had been born, he had visited her mother, the fairy Aijo, for advice on his own growing problems with Yumeko. Aijo had been Yumeko's best friend when they were growing up. Even then, Aijo had warned him that Yumeko would betray him.

Inutaisho hadn't believed her then.

Aijo's hanyou child, though, was a far more powerful Seer than her mother had been. Her father had been a Buddhist monk, and with the blood of a taiyoukai mixing with the holy power of a good human, the hanyou would become a formidable opponent indeed. Sesshoumaru certainly didn't need to be antagonizing her as he was.

"Here, Tomiko, drink this," Makoto said, helping Tomiko sit up. The girl took the tea gratefully, and drank it. In a few moments her head had cleared, and the terrifying visions of her family disappeared from her mind.

"It's a minor warding infusion. It will dull your Sight for a few hours, at least, and allow your mind to recover from the shock so that you can sleep undisturbed." She turned her attention back to Inutaisho, her violet eyes narrowing angrily. "Honestly, Inutaisho-sama, you've been giving her an awfully hard time. The poor child is exhausted."

"I can assure you it was not intentional," Inutaisho protested.

"Intentional or not, what she needs is a vacation from you." She down on the other side of the low table, and served herself and Inutaisho tea made from a different infusion. "Now, tell me the whole story. I've recorded what my visions saw, but you know they're never the same as first person perspective."

While Inutaisho related their sorry tale of the past three days, Tomiko took a good look around the hanyou's home. There were books everywhere, lining the walls, stacked in corners, piled underneath the low table. Some of the books appeared to be in strange languages. There were also stacks of loose paper, some with neat columns of writing on them, while others had beautiful inked sketches. 

The futon she was lying on was soft and warm, and the tatami underneath held the faint smell of spices. Her mind cleared of the terrifying visions, Tomiko felt her eyes grow heavier as Inutaisho and the Seer continued talking. Finally, she succumbed to a deep sleep.

Makoto glanced over at her. "She's finally out," the hanyou said with a sigh. 

"So I was right? She is a Seer, as well as a Truthsayer?"

The hanyou nodded. "She's a rarity, all right. And what a soul! Completely untarnished. She hasn't a selfish bone in her body, unlike me. She will make a fine apprentice. I shall be taking care of her from now on."

Inutaisho was annoyed. "I did not bring Tomiko to be your apprentice," he said, suddenly feeling possessive of her. Tomiko was _his_ woman.

Wait a minute . . . hadn't he sworn just a few hours ago that he could not make her his mate?

"But you'll leave her here as such. You have the not quite small matters of Yumemaru, Inunatsu, and the whole dragon clan out drumming for your blood at the moment. I suggest you clear that up before you even think of taking her as your wife."

Inutaisho growled grumpily and stared at the wall, suddenly feeling childish and selfish himself.

"I have charted the future, Inutaisho, and this is the only way that she will survive," Makoto warned. "If you truly love her, as all I can tell says you do, then you will leave her here with me so that I can teach her to control her visions. The next few days will be hard enough for her. Having you around isn't going to make it any easier."

"I want to at least tell her goodbye," Inutaisho insisted. "And I want to be able to visit her once a day."

"Once a month."

"Every week," he argued.

"All right, every week. But only for one night. And you had better darn well take care of your own business in the meantime. If you haven't appeased at least Inunatsu of Ise before the end of the week, I will not let you see her no matter how much you pester me."

"You are a cruel woman, Makoto," Inutaisho said.

"I wouldn't have it any other way. Now, that's enough about the mess of your life." The Seer poured herself another cup of tea. "Have you any idea what your son has done in the past few months?"

"Sesshoumaru?"

"Unless you have some bastards running around, then, yes, Sesshoumaru. Your silly pup has gone and caused a scandal in Kyoto."

Oh ho. This was news to Inutaisho, all right. 

"What trouble has the whelp been causing now?"

Makoto leaned forward, eager to share the latest gossip of the demon world. "He's been taken into the Emperor's court as an advisor."

Both of Inutaisho's eyebrows shot up. "My son? He's gone and done that?" In their present age, the Imperial Court was all but a ghost of its former glory, and the emperor held no real power as the warring feudal lords vied for territory. On another level the demon lords also fought for territory, and neither the humans nor the demons recognized each other's claims. But the court at Kyoto still pressed on, a powerless shell trying desperately to hold onto the past. For a demon to get involved in the politics of humans . . . was unthinkable. No wonder Sesshoumaru had gotten so full of himself.

Makoto grinned widely. "He uses every disguise spell he knows, and no one even suspects that he's a demon." Her grin soured suddenly. "It's also said that the Emperor's daughter favors him. What she sees in that arrogant, dog-breathed idiot is beyond me, but the Emperor himself is said to be considering a match between them.

"And what does Sesshoumaru have to say about that?"

"He's in a panic. He wants to retain the position at the court, because it is the easiest way for him to guard his territory. But if the Emperor commands him to marry the princess . . ."

"He'll find himself shackled with a human wife." Despite the gravity of Sesshoumaru's plight, Inutaisho couldn't help but chuckle. "And what do you think will happen?"

"Of all the futures I have seen . . ," the hanyou said, then sighed, and stirred her tea once more. "Most of them end with Sesshoumaru being hurt. I want to help him choose the future that is best for him, but he never lets me get close. He hates me at the moment." The pretty half demon sighed wistfully, and Inutaisho had the sudden insight that the hanyou cared more for his son than she was willing to admit.

"Well, that's neither here, nor there. It is growing late, Inutaisho-sama. Tomiko will sleep until the morning light. I suggest you rest as well. You've got a lot of cleaning up to do, after all," she reminded him. She stood up, and took the dishes away, before dragging out two spare futons. She had to rearrange the stacks of books in her hut before she found enough floor space for them. 

Inutaisho took the one closest to Tomiko, and he glanced at the human girl, who slept peacefully, freed of the visions that her talents had assaulted her with. He couldn't resist, and touched her sleeping lips gently.

"Inutaisho-sama," she murmured in her sleep. Feeling like a cad, the great demon turned his head up toward the ceiling of the hut, and hoped that the Seer's plan was right.

_The only way for Tomiko to be safe . . . is for me to leave her here._

**  
End Part 2**


	3. Part III

**_Under the Dog Star Part III_**  
(_Containing the whole of chapters 13-18)_

**Chapter 13: Training**

Tomiko slept in much longer than usual, because the medicine had also been laced heavily with a sleeping draught. She lay on the spare futon for a long time, trying not to remember the horror of yesterday.

Mother . . . all my sisters . . .Hanako-chan . . . Father . . . why did they have to die right when we were discovering each other again? Why did they have to leave me? Why wasn't I there when it all happened?

Why am I still alive?

She found no answer in her thoughts, and though tears slipped silently down her face, she vowed to be strong. Though she knew not the reasons, she had survived, and now she was going to start a new life as a student with Makoto. Even through the overwhelming grief, she felt that this was, well, destined. Perhaps this was part of her gifts, to know that a thing had to happen no matter what it cost.

Through half lidded eyes, she took a good look around the hanyou's hut for the first time. It was cozy without being overly small, although it was cluttered tremendously. Apparently, Makoto was not much of a housekeeper, as books were piled precariously all around, interspersed with dust and detritus. In a sunbeam that lazily drifted through one of the high, square windows to tangle itself in her hair, she saw the dust motes hanging thickly in the air stir in the slight wind that formed with the hanyou returned.

"Good morning," the smiling woman said, and placed the greens she had been carrying on a small table in the corner of the hut she used as a kitchen. Tomiko sat up, and rubbed her eyes. She saw that the other two futons had already been rolled up for the day.

"Excuse me . . .," she began hesitantly, "but where is Inutaisho-sama?"

"He is outside near the creek, doing some morning exercises." The hanyou turned to her, and offered her another crooked smile. "He wants to say goodbye to you. It seems to me that the taiyoukai has fallen pretty hard, all right."

Tomiko blushed slightly, and slipped out of the futon, which she then folded up. She was slightly embarrassed to realize that she still wore the same kimono from the day before. She brushed the wrinkles from it as best she could, and then went outside, too see Inutaisho.

He was, indeed, near the creek, and Tomiko paused outside the hut, awed by the sight of her lord in the morning sunlight. He was running through a basic set of martial arts training kana, and for this activity he had stripped down to nothing but his loose, billowy white pants. Tomiko again admired his trim, wiry figure and grace as he moved from one fluid motion to another.

Where had he learned a martial arts kana? Tomiko asked herself, as he continued the solo dance. For the first time, she realized just how little she knew about the youkai that had entered her life just a few short days ago. He was old, he had admitted that much himself, and he had at least one son. Her heart clenched ever so slightly at that thought, and it took Tomiko, innocent she was, a few moments to realize that it was jealousy on the part of Sesshoumaru's mother. But that wasn't right, nor fair, as that one had died long ago and what had been resurrected burned with the soul of a mononoke. 

She admired him for quite some time before he finished the kana and leaned forward, hands on his knees, breathing carefully and resting from his workout. Sweat glistened on his muscles. He was slightly tanner than she herself, although not overly so. Sesshoumaru must have gotten his pale skin from his mother, she decided as she walked toward the taiyoukai.

He heard her approach, and looked up, his face lighting as if glowing from within. Tomiko stopped a few feet away from him, her head bowed, her hands clutched demurely in front of her.

"Makoto-san said you wanted to say goodbye to me," she whispered.

She was more than a little surprised when she felt his strong arms surrounding her, so that she was held tightly against his bare chest. She stared at the creek, barely remembering to breathe. He smelled earthen, and now slightly sweaty from his morning workout.

"I don't want to say goodbye to you, but it seems I must," he said softly, also looking off into the distance. "So many people are after my life now that I'm dangerous. No one will expect you to be here, and so you'll be safe. That's the most important thing, Tomiko-chan, that you be safe."

"Inutaisho-sama has kept me very safe so far," she protested gently. He gripped her shoulders, and looked into her violet eyes with his golden ones.

"Only by luck, and I don't want to take any chances on that luck running out." His voice wavered ever so slightly. "I don't want to lose you . . . now that I have found you."

"Inutaisho-sama . . ."

He kissed her then, a soft whisper of a kiss that lasted but a moment. Tomiko felt her eyes widen in surprise as he pulled back.

"I hope I have not overstepped my bounds," he said quietly.

"No," she answered, and impulsively reached up to her shoulders and covered his hands with her own. "I am happy that I have found you as well, Inutaisho-sama. I want to know everything about you. I -- and -- that is, I like it when you kiss me," she stammered out, shyly.

Inutaisho smiled fully at her modesty, and then kissed her again, this time much more deeply, and for a much longer time. Tomiko felt warm and peaceful then, and responded as best she could guess, sliding her hands from his up to his neck, which she then encircled in an effort to pull him closer to herself. Apparently she had done something right, for Inutaisho groaned slightly and crushed her small body to his own.

It was only when Tomiko needed air that she broke away, gasping. A thousand new sensations were running through her body, and her heart reeled from a sudden rush of emotion.

She had fallen hard for Inutaisho herself, hadn't she? He was handsome and strong and kind, and he seemed to see more of her than a common girl raised in a teahouse. Who wouldn't fall in love with such a man?

"Unfortunately, Makoto-san is kicking me out after breakfast, or else I would teach you some more this morning," he said, his voice suddenly a lot deeper than its usual warm bass rumble. Tomiko stared up at him, not wanting to think about how she would survive without him. "I'll be back in a week," he promised with another quick kiss.

"Breakfast!" Makoto called from the entrance to the hut. "And Inutaisho-sama, don't you dare come in here without your shirt on."

Inutaisho blinked stupidly at the hut door, and then laughed, letting Tomiko go so he could dress again. "She's something, isn't she?"

Tomiko smiled back. Life with the hanyou was certainly going to be an adventure, all right.

* * *

Breakfast was a quiet affair for Inutaisho and Tomiko, although Makoto filled the silence with a constant stream of gossip from both the human and demon worlds. Inutaisho seemed knowledgeable about both worlds as well, and even offered her a few tidbits from the island of Kyushu that she hadn't been aware of.

It ended all too soon, though, and then Inutaisho had to go. "But I will be back soon," he reminded her between kisses. Tomiko, weepy thing she was, ended up crying silently the whole time.

"Don't let that one trick you into allowing him to come back early," Makoto called as a warning. "He's a slippery thing and he'll go back to his naturally mischievous state in a heartbeat if you let him."

"If you haven't noticed by now, Makoto has a tendency to talk about people as if they weren't really there," Inutaisho observed with a smile. "I'll be back in a week -- or less."

He left eastward, toward Ise, flying through the trees as swiftly as the wind. He did not turn back once.

Tomiko sank to the ground, suddenly feeling hollow and weak.

"Well, now, you're not supposed to actually drop down when you fall for someone," Makoto commented. Tomiko ignored her and continued to cry softly until she felt Makoto's hand on her shoulder. The hanyou knelt down beside her, and patted her on the back sympathetically.

"Inutaisho-sama loves you very much, but he cannot take you as his own so long as there are other youkai out to kill him."

"I know," Tomiko answered, still weeping silently. The tears simply wouldn't stop. "But I'm afraid that he'll be hurt. I don't want to lose him, too."

"He's too stubborn to get killed, just like his stubborn son," Makoto said wryly. "Come on, let's get started." She stood up, and Tomiko weakly followed her into the hut.

"Your Gifts have already been awakened on their own, which means that they are especially strong," Makoto began, and started looking through a stack of books in the corner. "That also means that there's a good chance you've got some demon blood from many generations ago."

"Youkai . . . blood?"

"Well, yes. Youkai and humans have been interbreeding since the dawn of time. In fact, it's recommended every few generations or so by most of the youkai clans, because a youkai with a human heart is usually far stronger -- and smarter -- than a pure youkai. Only two of the great clans -- the dragons, and the bats -- refused to allow half-youkai children to be born. They stupidly think that it weakens the blood. While it is true that a hanyou does not possess the full range of youkai powers, a mix of human and youkai blood often awakens new abilities. In our case, it awakens psychic powers." The hanyou finally found the book she was looking for, and she set it with a loud thump onto the low table. 

"First things first. You have to know some history. This tome contains the full tale of Japan; from a human perspective, of course, but it's still good reading. You can read, right?"

Tomiko nodded uncertainly. The book was imposing, and she didn't read all that well.

"The best way to learn to read is to simply do it. Go on. If you run across a kanji you don't know, just write it down here," Makoto said, setting a piece of paper, a small brush, and an ink tray onto the table. "I've got an errand to run in Kyoto and I'll be gone for a few hours."

The book was old, and its cover cracked. The unevenness of the pages and their blank backs seemed to indicate that it had once been a scroll, too. Tomiko read slowly, mouthing the syllables as she read along, so that while she did encounter a few kanji she wasn't entirely sure of, she could often figure out the meaning from the context. Still, she wrote them down, just in case she was wrong.

Out of nowhere, however, she had another vision, and she felt a sharp pain throughout her heart. Images raced through her mind. The red dragon . . . the one who had slain her village, had been killed. Her city had been avenged. Was it Inutaisho? No, he was nowhere in the vision . . . instead, there was a second dragon. This one was much larger than the red one had been, and its gray hide shimmered in the morning light. Tomiko did not like the looks of that second dragon at all.

In a flash of insight, she realized that the paper was not really so much for her to write down unknown characters, but for her to record her visions. She took another leaf of paper, and began to quickly write all that she had seen.

Where had she learned to read and write, anyway? None of her sisters had ever bothered to learn, and Father and Mother had never taught her. 

Puzzled, she stared at her recorded sheet of visions, and realized that she'd somehow always known. No one had taught her. She had simply been literate as long as she could remember. In some ways, that thought was far more frightening than her vision had been.

**Chapter 14: The Ladies of Ise**

Inutaisho didn't appreciate Makoto's ultimatums one bit. Even though she was all but a daughter in law to him (he knew far more about her relationship with Sesshoumaru than either on would EVER admit to), the girl was uppity and bossy beyond all reason. 

Not like Tomiko, who, while containing a steel inside her tiny body that many noble ladies lacked, had a certain grace and manners about her that drove Inutaisho almost to distraction. Tomiko didn't have to put on airs or yell at people to get them to do as she wished; she had an innate charm that demanded obedience on its own. Her soft voice commanded as much authority as the hanyou's arch half-shout.

However, he had left his woman in Makoto's care for the time being, and as much as he hated it, taking her to Makoto's had given him some much needed time to straighten out his life. In the past few days, more chaos had fallen upon him than he had imagined possible. A former mate had risen from the dead and possessed his son, then he'd picked up a human mate almost by accident, and now the dragon clan wanted his head on a platter. Oh, and so did his own dog clan. A whole lot of people thought he'd be better off dead at the moment.

At least he could appease Natsumi now. No doubt she'd already heard through the gossip network that Sesshoumaru had developed a sudden new ability. Like all the lady demons in her social network, she was far more inclined to trust a juicy rumor than she was actual physical evidence. Natsumi still had the mentality of a teenager, after all. 

The way to Ise from Kyoto would have taken a human over a week, but Inutaisho had transformed and was again traveling almost too fast for the human eye to see. He arrived there in a matter of hours, and quickly returned to his human form before any of the humans at Ise saw him.

His sharp nose picked up the strong scent of the ocean here. Natsumi had chosen Ise as her territory centuries ago because of the sea, which what had earned the Summer Dog her family nickname. Here, in Ise, she had settled, and for a long time she had been the center of a social network that stretched across all of Nihon -- and beyond.

Inutaisho entered the city of Ise silently, and wished he'd thought to bring his wig with him as the streets were swarming with humans. He sniffed delicately at the air, and amidst the scents of the city he caught notes of youkai coming from one end in particular. He made his way toward this corner of Ise, and before long he found himself on a street with large mansions that positively reeked of youkai.

He had only been here once, long ago when Natsumi was still but a pup and he was a minor taiyoukai with only three centuries under his belt. The place had changed drastically since then. Natsumi had been living in a tree with her younger brother, laughing and helping the humans slowly turn the village into a solid trading center for the country.

Even then, Natsumi had lived comfortably among humans. Unlike her cousins, with their distinctive snow-white manes, the half-dragon's hair fell in soft, rose-colored strands. Inuaoiryu's hair had been dark blue. Hair color for youkai always depended on the strength of the demons involved in their conception -- demon heredity was anything but human, naturally. That's why hanyou like Makoto were usually far more human than demon. Of course, a lot of that had to do with the fact that hanyou were always conceived while the demon wore a human form. There were horror stories, of course, of weak demon parents whose hanyou children were hideously deformed, but none of the great clans had ever spawned a hanyou monster. If Inutaisho and Tomiko were to have a child -- Inutaisho savored that thought for moment -- then the hanyou would be strong and perfect. If a little on the small side.

Natsumi's house was the largest in the youkai section of town. Inutaisho flitted up the hill around her grand house, ignoring the steps, and began carefully peering into windows until he found the main room. His keen ears picked up the conversation easily, and he looked through a large chink in the wall into the room.

She sat at the center, on an imported Chinese chair. Around her, some on the tatami, others on chairs as well, were the demon ladies of Ise. As he had suspected they would be, they were gossiping. Natsumi reigned queen of the society.

"And so I said to him, if you mate with THAT one, your children are like as not to end up with almost no powers! A fire demon and a water demon seem like they would cancel out to ME." The speaker, a large thunder-demon wearing a kimono that was too small for her, placed her hand dramatically on her plump bosom. "But did he listen? Oh no, not at all."

"I heard she's already expecting their first child," a thin, hawkish youkai added.

"We'll see," the thunder-demon answered with another sigh. 

For a moment, there was a lull in the conversation, and then a moth-youkai filled it in with another story. "Did you hear that Yumemaru is back as a mononoke? I heard it from good authority that she's come back from the dead to exact her revenge upon Inutaisho."

Glad to know I'm so popular in the social circles, Inutaisho thought wryly, and listened carefully. Inunatsu also looked very interested, although she said nothing and pretended to look at her delicately painted claws.

"I heard that the dragon clan resurrected her after the mess with -- well, sorry Natsumi. That's a little too close to home."

"No, go on, I'm interested. My family is after him now too?"

The hawk-demon nodded eagerly. "Yes. Your honor is safe, Natsumi-sama. He shall not go unpunished."

"Well, _I_ heard that it was Yumemaru that possessed Inuaoiryu to begin with," the thunder-demon said importantly, and then added proudly, "from Sesshoumaru himself."

The other demon ladies oohed at this new tidbit. Inunatsu suddenly paled.

"Do go on," she said, and poured the thunder-demon another cup of tea. 

She drank it eagerly, and took a deep breath. "I was in Kyoto just this morning and I bumped into him. He was with that hanyou -- you know, the cat-girl --"

"Makoto? They're mates now, aren't they?"

"It's still unofficial. Anyway, he said that Inutaisho was on his way to Ise at this very moment to let you know, Natsumi, that he had found out what had happened to Inuaoiryu. Yumemaru IS back -- and she's apparently the one that possessed Inuaoiryu."

"How would Sesshoumaru know that?" the moth-youkai said indignantly.

"Because she had possessed him as well! And he has a new ability to prove it -- his right hand now shoots poison. Yumemaru's back as a mononoke. Whether she came back on her own or under someone else's power -- now, come on, it _couldn't_ have been the dragons, they don't have that sort of knowledge -- no offense, Natsumi-sama -- anyway, it's still anyone's guess."

"But who would want to resurrect Yumemaru? She's stark raving mad!"

"And there lies the question," Inutaisho said softly to himself, and decided to make his presence known. He left the window, and went back to the front door, where a human servant let him in once he saw the hair. Inutaisho knew enough to take his shoes off, and he waited patiently why the servant made his presence known to the ladies in the main room.

Inunatsu herself came out, looking flustered and distressed. Inutaisho greeted her with a smile.

"It took me a little less than a week, Natsumi-chan," he said with a friendly grin. Natsumi glared at him coldly.

"You were listening, weren't you?"

"But of course. I adore the sounds of guesses flying around the room."

"Well, is it true? Is . . . did Yumemaru really . . .?"

Inutaisho sobered up instantly. He nodded gravely, and took his cousin's hand. She had started to look cross again. "Yumemaru has returned. She is the one who possessed . . . who made me fight Inuaoiryu."

"I see. But what are you going to do about her? She was your mate."

"But never my life-mate. She was a mistake for me as I was for her. I must have hurt her deeply, and she -- well, she did give me Sesshoumaru . . . but for me that was enough. She wanted more from me and I simply couldn't give it. I should have waited for love to produce an heir, no matter how many centuries it may have taken."

"Haven't you taken that human for a mate now?"

"You can say that. I cannot make it formal until my honor debts are filled." He looked into his cousin's jade green eyes. "I _will_ return her to her rest, Natsumi. I shall avenge our clan on your behalf. No spirit deserves to become a mononoke for vengeance."

"I'd have made you one for vengeance." The younger demon smiled crookedly, a note of sadness in her voice.

"I don't think I would have become a mononoke if you had killed me. I might have haunted you and bothered you for a bit for killing me without letting me explain myself, but I'd rather pass on to the next life than be a ghost in this one."

Natsumi nodded. "I think I would as well." She sighed heavily. "I shall free you from your honor-debt to me. By wildest blood you have kept your promise. Please, do try to return her to rest quickly, though. I don't like the thought of that woman possessing another."

"Neither do I. I want her to rest in peace as soon as possible, too." Inutaisho hugged his cousin and friend tightly, then started to walk toward the foyer again. But Inunatsu stopped him.

"And, Inutaisho, do be careful," she added. "I cannot control my father's clan. They will still seek vengeance upon you."

Inutaisho grimaced. "I'll have to prove to them, too, that Inuaoiryu was possessed."

"Is that even possible? But anyway, good luck. And take care of that little human of yours." The Summer Dog reached up and kissed her cousin on the cheek. "Go to her safely."

"Thank you. And take care of yourself as well."

With that, he slipped his shoes on, and left.

Natsumi sighed, and returned to the main room, where the gossip had once again turned to the dragon clan.

"It's true," the moth-youkai said insistently. "Seikaryu attacked a human village without provocation and absolutely destroyed it, and his father killed him outright. Said the humans didn't need to be involved in a battle between youkai honor, even if the youkai in question had taken a human for a mate."

"Really? I'll never understand the dragon clan. Oh, welcome back Natsumi. Wasn't Seikaryu the red one?"

"Yes, he was," Natsumi interjected, and sat back down on her Chinese chair, picking up her teacup and refilling it casually. "Grandfather killed uncle Seikaryu?" 

"Oooo, you hadn't heard? Well, it was just this morning, but I heard it from Shinmaru who was coming from Edo, and He'd heard about it from Inu-Mizu . . . who actually _saw_ it on his way from Osaka today."

"Do tell, do tell!"

The gossip continued until long after the sun had set over the seas of Ise.

**Chapter 15: A Side Story, Part I**

Kyoto. The classic city of Japan, now in its decline during the feudal wars. Once Kyoto had been the true seat of power, and the Imperial court had been famous throughout the eastern world. But now, with the constant warfare of the feudal age, the court had deteriorated into a mere shell of formalities.

Soon, Makoto knew, the capital would officially be transferred to Edo, marking the start of the Tokugawa period that would last for two centuries until the Meiji Restoration. Makoto knew this not because she was from the future, but because she lived the future in her mind. Visions of the past, present, and all possible futures swirled around her as she picked her way through the cobbled streets toward the mansions surrounding the Imperial castle. 

Makoto was a Seer. A hanyou Seer. They called her the Hanyou Seer of Kyoto.

She didn't mind being a half-youkai or a Seer so much as she minded being born in the turbulent time she was fated for. One of the few things that she couldn't see was her own future, and in such a dangerous world, her life was constantly threatened. She did not want to die yet, at least not until she had punched Sesshoumaru in the nose, or broken his leg, or somehow wounded him otherwise. She was still smarting from his attitude the day before. "Won't enter the hut of a hanyou" indeed. He was simply being an asshole because his father was there, she knew; but Sesshoumaru was also still angry at her for not wanting to mess around with the Emperor a little. So she had to go apologize to him today.

Sesshoumaru had, for murky territorial reasons not even she understood, decided to get involved in the political arena in Kyoto last year. He had quickly earned a reputation for clear thinking and level-headedness among the human courtiers, and the Emperor favored him now as his best advisor. Sesshoumaru had managed to blend in remarkably well, through the judicious use of disguise spells to keep his markings invisible and his eyes a more human color than yellow. Despite his shock of white hair, no one at the court ever questioned his humanity, and he was respected by everyone so much that the Emperor had hinted at a possible betrothal to one of his daughters.

That was making Sesshoumaru panic, and he had demanded that Makoto use hypnosis or some other mind-altering substance on the Emperor before he found himself engaged to a human. Makoto had angrily declined. Even if the Imperial Court *was* a defunct shell of its former self, there were some things that you just didn't do, and brainwashing the Emperor was one of them.

Her refusal had left Sesshoumaru miffed at her, and his audacity left her equally miffed at him. Since she had moved into his territory several years ago, he had never been so angry with her. Well, what did he expect? She herself didn't exactly relish the idea of Sesshoumaru engaged to anyone else -- to be honest, the thought made her insides knot up in jealousy -- but she wasn't going to get involved in his affairs if he couldn't handle it himself.

Screw the apology. She wanted to smack him more than ever now.

She drew her cloak further over her head, adjusting it to better cover her golden skin and sand colored hair, which she had twisted into a knot for her journey. Even Sesshoumaru blended in better than she did here in Kyoto. Her tiny cat ears flicked in irritation at the coarse hood of the cloak, but she dared not take it off until she reached the sanctuary of Sesshoumaru's home. She earned a living here on festival days as a psychic, but even then she was carefully wrapped up so that the only thing visible was her clear lavender eyes. It added to her sense of mystery.

Finally, the hanyou reached Sesshoumaru's moderate castle home. She looked up to the broad, curved tile roof in mild trepidation, then took a deep breath and walked up the stepping stones to the veranda entrance.

She was a well-known presence in the household, and so she merely nodded to one of the guardian servants as she slipped her shoes off and stepped onto the raised floor. She walked quietly down the hallway to the office, where she was knew she'd find Sesshoumaru. And there he was, sitting at an imported, ornate desk, carefully poring over an old scroll and writing comments on a fresh one. He looked up when he heard her.

"What do you want?" he asked without any clear emotion beyond annoyance.

She flipped back her hood so he could see her whole face. "I came to pun -- I came to apologize." She gritted out the words, making fists at her side as she tried to control her temper. "I won't hypnotize the emperor, but I should have been more sensitive to your situation. I'm willing to help you devise a plan to avoid a betrothal."

"It's too late," Sesshoumaru said with deadly calm, and ran his ink stick over the friction tile, creating a darker ink in the tiny well at the end. He dipped his brush in silence, and continued writing, while Makoto tried to regain control of her jaw.

"Too late?" she finally managed to choke out.

"I received a notice from the Emperor that he intends to announce my betrothal this afternoon."

Makoto leaned heavily on his desk, feeling as though her stomach had suddenly split and dropped into her feet. "No," she whispered.

"Oh yes. I told you the situation was grave, but you refused to come to my aid. And now I will be forced to leave Kyoto in dishonor, or marry a human. Either option annoys me very much."

"But it hasn't been announced yet, right? It's not formal. You can still get out of it."

"How?" Sesshoumaru said calmly, as if he was certain she'd have no answer. But Sesshoumaru wasn't the only quick thinker in Kyoto.

"If you're already married, he can't make you marry someone else."

Sesshoumaru actually dropped his brush onto the new scroll, and his mouth tightened in mute anger as he picked up a rag and wiped the inkblot clean. "Since I'm not married and I have no intention of marrying, that is not a viable plan."

"You silly! You don't actually have to GET married before this afternoon. You just have to present the image of 'wife' to the court. All you need is a willing female to stand in during the ruse." Makoto stood up straight, and tried not to preen.

Sesshoumaru appraised her coolly. "Certainly you don't mean yourself."

"And why not?" she answered indignantly. "I know the ways of the court, and I know you better than anyone else in the entire city."

"What about your appearance? You look even less human than I do."

"I look like --" she glanced down at her warm golden skin and delicate little claws, and then twitched her sandy ears. "You're right." She sighed, and then suddenly perked up. "But tonight is the waxing quarter moon."

Sesshoumaru blinked. "That's the night when you become human, is it not?"

Makoto smiled to herself. He had remembered. She'd been angry when he had found out several years ago, but it would work to their advantage this time. Hanyou, like herself, lost their youkai powers about once a month, usually on the day of the same phase the moon had been in when they were born. "It is. So when the Emperor offers you his daughter, explain that you are already married and that you sent for your wife once you received the notice this morning, and that she will be arriving late this evening. After the moon rises, I will make a brief appearance."

The youkai was silent for a moment. Makoto could see that he was contemplating the solution. He just has to agree, she thought to herself. It's the best solution, and he knows it. 

"All right," he finally said. "But you can't go wearing . . . that . . .that --"

"My work robes are completely inappropriate, I know. I will change. I always wanted an excuse to wear my mother's favorite long-sleeved kimono." She grinned. "And my hair will be black, and my eyes a deep brown. My skin will lighten considerably, too. And the cat ears will go."

Sesshoumaru nodded. Makoto thought he looked relieved. But maybe it was only her imagination.

"I'll be back here just before the sun sets. Good luck with the emperor," she said with a final smirk, and turned to leave.

"Makoto-chan," Sesshoumaru called softly, and she froze. He had only called her that a few times . . . and all of them were rather private, treasured memories of hers.

"Yes?" she said, afraid to turn around.

"I'm sorry for my behavior yesterday as well."

A deep, genuine smile spread across the hanyou's face. Sesshoumaru had truly forgiven her.

"Apology accepted," she shot over her shoulder, and practically skipped back to the foyer where she had removed her geta. Even if she had to be human to do it, for one night, one glorious night, she would be Sesshoumaru's wife. 

To her surprise, Sesshoumaru followed her to the foyer and also put on his shoes. 

"This Sesshoumaru will escort you home," he said unexpectedly, and offered her his arm. Makoto smiled warmly. He really was thoughtful when he wanted to be.

* * *

Makoto really didn't live all that far from Kyoto, and so to her the walk home was far too short. It had been prolonged by several interruptions -- Sesshoumaru was the only youkai lord in Kyoto, but the city itself was a popular stopover for youkai travelers, and more than one had asked about the rumors circulating -- that Sesshoumaru's mother had returned, that he had a new power (Makoto had not known about that), and that she'd possessed both his second cousin and Sesshoumaru himself. Makoto never ceased to be amazed at the speed at which youkai gossip traveled. Natsumi had spies everywhere. She knew all. She saw all.

Sesshoumaru left her by the creek, and told her he would be back at nightfall to escort her. She wondered if he'd felt her floating two inches above the ground the whole journey.

Makoto returned to her hut to find Tomiko dutifully learning kanji. She was surprised to see how few the girl had not known -- Tomiko hadn't seemed particularly well educated, and that history of Japan had many older, infrequently used characters. However, Tomiko did have a very queer look on her face as she read.

"I'm home," Makoto called, causing Tomiko to nearly jump a foot. She shook her head to clear it and smiled sweetly at Makoto. The hanyou could see how the taiyoukai had fallen instantly for her -- Tomiko's friendly smile could probably melt the icy heart of even Sesshoumaru if it were properly applied.

"Welcome home. I had another vision while you were gone."

Makoto nodded. "Until you learned to control them, they'll come often. Did you write it down?"

Tomiko smiled again, this time proudly. "I had a feeling that is what you really meant for me to do. Yes, I did. A gray dragon killed a red dragon, the same one that killed -- the same one that attacked my family's village." Tomiko's expression grew sadder. "I am happy that they are avenged, but it does not feel right yet. They were avenged for the wrong reason."

Makoto instantly forgot her own bliss in the face of Tomiko's revelations. She sat down across from her at the low table, and set her head on her hands, thinking, for a long time. Tomiko waited expectantly. 

Finally, she said, "Sometimes the feelings associated with a vision are not important. But sometimes they are. I think it's good that you recognized an emotion for this vision. However, be careful not to let the emotions cloud your Sight. What you have seen is only one possible future."

Tomiko was shaking her head. "This was not the future. Like my vision that told me it was the red dragon who attacked Kusabana, what I saw today has already happened. I know it to be so."

Already happened? That meant . . .

And finally Makoto's own Sight decided to kick in. She closed her eyes and let herself drown in the vision. Like Tomiko, she saw a gray dragon -- the patriarch of the mighty Dragon clan -- arguing with his son, Seikaryu. But in her vision, they were in human form. Before long Ryukossei transformed and attacked Seikaryu. The younger dragon didn't stand a chance.

"He killed his own son. Bastard dragons," Makoto said, her ears now laying flat against her head. 

"Who did?"

"Ryukossei. The one who is now out to kill Inutaisho -- and you as well."**  
**

**Chapter 16: The Thrill of Hunt and Battle**

Inutaisho ran through the forests north of Ise, trying to relieve some of the tension that had built up during his visit to his cousin's house. Inunatsu, queen of the southern lands and most renowned gossipmonger in the entire country (and probably all of the Eastern youkai world), had granted him a reprieve. He had fulfilled Makoto's first condition well ahead of schedule. 

It did frustrate him that he would only had limited contact with Tomiko while she was under the hanyou's tutelage, but at least she was safe there. No one bothered the hanyou; they considered her too insignificant a threat to their territory to even worry about her. As long as she stayed at the hanyou's hut, she would be fine. 

Not so for Inutaisho. 

Now that word had gotten out that Yumemaru was back and that the dragons were after him, his life would be in constant danger. The confirmation that Seikaryu had attacked Tomiko's village -- and the new information that Ryukossei had killed him for his impertinence -- rubbed something deep in Inutaisho exactly the wrong way. Ryukossei was perhaps the only taiyoukai in all of Japan that was stronger than Inutaisho, and the inu-youkai did not relish the idea of a battle with him. 

Battles were part of the never ceasing struggle for territory. Inutaisho had taken over much of eastern Kyushu and the western lands of Honshu over the course of a millennia through such battles. Kusabana had been part of some recently acquired lands, and look what had happened to it. Maybe he had tried to take over too large an area. Maybe it was time to simply control what he had, and give up. Maybe, in fact, Seikaryu's destruction of Kusabana was simply part of the normal territorial battle. 

No, Inutaisho decided. No way was that simply a territory squabble. Seikaryu would have sought out Inutaisho himself, not attacked a helpless human village. Seikaryu's attack had been deliberate malice. 

The dragons hated humans. All the youkai in the world had some reservations about the mortals who shared their territory -- some considered them food, others a nuisance, and still others a natural part of the landscape to be ignored. But the inu-youkai, and many of the large clans, had intermixed freely with them. They recognized that humans, too, had souls, and could offer valuable contributions to the welfare of youkai, just as the youkai could offer protection to the humans. The arrangement with the dressmakers was perhaps the most visible aspect of that silent agreement. 

Oh, that's right, Inutaisho remembered. Tomiko's wardrobe is probably done by now. I'll need to pick that up. 

Shaking his head clear of his contemplation, the ancient demon stopped his run, and inhaled the sweet smells of the forest. He was nearing Edo now, an area too inhabited with humans for most youkai. The scent of youkai was faint and old near the villages here, but the scent of wildlife was still strong. This would be good hunting ground. 

He turned to go when he spied a human building in a clearing off in the distance. The smell of humans was lacking in this area. He frowned, and gave into curiosity. He had a week to kill, after all. He might as well explore a little. 

The house was abandoned, although relatively intact. It had not been particularly grand even when it had been inhabited; most likely it had been a hunting lodge for a noble lord at one point, small but fine and serviceable. Inutaisho examined the outside critically, making mental notes of what needed to be repaired and judging whether or not he could do it on his own. The more he saw, the more he liked. He stepped inside. 

The tatami was worn but serviceable. Many of the rice paper squares in the walls had small holes in them, but rice paper was easy enough to acquire. He glanced up, and saw that the timber roof was still sound. Underneath the tatami, the floor was also strong. By the time he had finished his impromptu tour, he had come to a decision. 

I can make a home for Tomiko here. Kyushu is too full of painful memories for her. Here, near Edo, I can protect her, and she can be near enough to humans so that she won't be lonely. Here . . . I can provide a home for her. 

Suddenly the youkai berated himself. I had said I wasn't going to make her my mate. Now look at me, already planning to make a home for her. She's better off with Makoto than here. 

Inutaisho sadly left the building, but he knew he was lying to himself when he said he wasn't interested in mating the human girl anymore. In the short course of a few days, the tiny woman had worked her way deep into his heart. He wanted to love and cherish her, and he wanted her to bear his children. They would be hanyou, of course, and thus there was always a chance of deformity, but Inutaisho knew that children of taiyoukai more often than not came out just as strong as their youkai parents, if not stronger. 

There he went again! He could not think of Tomiko as a potential mate. It simply wouldn't work, not with his life in shambles as it was. Growling in frustration to himself, the taiyoukai decided to hunt the old fashioned way in order to clear his mind of such thoughts. 

* * * 

Silent, swift, invisible. The delicate, aged stag had no clue he was being hunted. Inutaisho could smell the calmness radiating from the animal as it nibbled on the bark of the tree. It was completely unaware of his presence. 

Inutaisho had dropped all of his disguise spells, so that his human form was at its most youkai. His eyes glowed a piercing red with pale, bluish iridescent pupils. Large claws extended from his hands. A deep purple stripe reached from his ears to halfway down his cheeks, and matching stripes were on his arms and legs. The markings were those of a taiyoukai only; the ancient clans who bore them shared common ancestors from thousands of years ago. 

The inu-youkai felt a humming in his blood as he studied his prey. Sometime, long before his birth, a dog's spirit had started the clan of inu-youkai, and those instincts still burned within them all. While the majority nowadays had adapted themselves to the human world as human civilization progressed, deep down inside they were still creatures of the wilderness, untamed, unchecked, and thirsting for death. 

The stag shifted its position to another tree, and Inutaisho dropped softly from above. The stag never knew what hit it as the ancient demon tore at its throat, killing it instantly. The warm blood ran down Inutaisho's fingers, and he licked them one by one. Hmmm, he thought, I still prefer my food cooked. The raw meat didn't taste bad; in fact, it fulfilled the craving for fresh blood that had been nagging at Inutaisho for a long time. Perhaps that was why Sesshoumaru had chosen to always hunt the traditional way and never touched human food; somehow the uncooked flesh sharpened Inutaisho's already honed senses even further, and lightened his head a little. It took him a few moments to remember that it was the youkai blood rejoicing in the kill. He hadn't felt that in almost a hundred and thirty years, not since that fierce and monumental battle against Menoumaru.

I _have_ been around humans too long. I'd almost forgotten what it felt like. Not even when I had to kill Inuaoiryu did I feel the blood heat. Of course, that was different. Inuaoiryu had been family. 

Gorged on blood, the taiyoukai stretched and decided to head over to Kyushu after a quick dip in a nearby stream. It had been nearly a week since he'd checked on his territory, and he needed to spread his scent around the island once more before someone else decided to take it over. 

* * * 

In his true form, Inutaisho raced across the country. While he was unimpeded by a human in his mighty paw, he could cross it within the course of a few brief hours. By the time he reached the edges of his territory, however, the moon had risen and the sun was beginning to set. 

Inutaisho paused as he entered the mountainous forests of his lands. A vaguely familiar scent was permeating the territory; another youkai was near. Would someone else be so stupid as to try to fight him so soon after Inuaoiryu's inglorious defeat? No, this smelled almost like the lingering scent of Inuaoiryu or Inunatsu . . . 

Suddenly he knew. He knew who it was who had invaded his territory, and he felt a surge of anger spurred on by the blood heat. 

Ryukossei! 

He stayed in his demon form. He no longer had to worry about the village of Kusabana, or any of the human villages; Tomiko's people had been the only ones silly enough to try a virgin sacrifice, and with them sadly gone, hopefully the rest of the humans would be smart enough not to try that useless tactic again. In some tiny way, Seikaryu had helped him. 

The scent of the great dragon was nearby, and Inutaisho did not have search long before he found him hiding behind a hill in his true form as well. Dragon and dog squared off. 

"This infraction will not go unpunished, but I will hear your excuses first," Inutaisho almost spat out. The dignified dragon turned the human face on his head toward Inutaisho, and regarded him with the coldest, impassionate eyes that any youkai had possessed. 

"You have taken a human to mate, they say." 

"I have not," Inutaisho replied, although he felt a faint flash of guilt. He wanted to take Tomiko as his mate. He wanted her to bear his children. He wanted to love her. 

He DID love her. Since he was going to fight with Ryukossei anyway, he might as well do it truthfully. 

"I have not," he repeated, "although I have intentions to. What does it concern the clan of dragons? She will not be in your way, and your relatives will not be smirched by contact with her. Not that you seem to have any concern for your own children." 

Ryukossei answered without emotion. "If you are referring to Seikaryu, he acted without my authority. By our laws he had to be cursed with death. That is not the concern of the dog clan. But your taking a human as a mate is most certainly our concern, and the concern of all youkai. Hanyou must not be born, and born, they must not be allowed to live." 

So that was his complaint. "It is a falsehood that hanyou are weak. Look at the Seer, Makoto." 

"That one should have been killed as well. Only her mother prevented her death, and once her mother and father were both disposed of, she should have died as well." Again, the dragon spoke as if from a distance, as though the words he said simply passed through him. He spoke as though all he said was logical and obvious, and as if he were patiently explaining it to a child. 

Inutaisho was younger than the great dragon by several centuries, but that did not make him a child by any standards. 

"Then why didn't you kill her as well?" 

"She has the maddened spirit of the one you refused to mate with her. We cannot interfere with the one who has passed on." 

It took a few moments for that declaration to sink in, and once it did, he almost refused to believe it. Makoto? Yumemaru was protecting Makoto? 

It didn't make any sense. Yumemaru had been insane at the time of her death. But had she even died? In a sudden flash of horror, he realized that she might never have been properly sealed to begin with. He had only assumed that someone had resurrected her soul. However, the soul may have been wandering the world for almost twenty years -- no, not wandering, staying with the hanyou Makoto to protect her. 

He wondered if the hanyou had ever even known. It still made no sense. Had it been a promise to Aijo?

"I thought you might like to know that before I killed you, Inutaisho," the dragon said, a note of smugness creeping into his voice. "Now that you are here, I formally challenge you to the island of Kyushu and all of your lands on Honshu." 

"You mean to disguise your cold blooded murder as a territorial squabble? Well, that's more foresight than most have had." Inutaisho stretched almost casually, and flexed the claws on his paws. 

Inside, he was a roiling turmoil of fear and anger. The blood heat of the kill hadn't yet faded, and he was very glad he'd indulged in the primitive hunt earlier. His head was clear despite his pounding heart and soul-deep dread. 

This was one fight he was probably not going to win

**Chapter 17: A Side Story, Part II**

"Hold still," Tomiko commanded softly. Underneath her careful hands, the brilliant gold mass of Makoto's curls had been transformed into a swelled coif that was enough to make any princess in Kyoto jealous. The two women had been working all afternoon; it was enough to take Tomiko's mind off her tragedy, although she still had a hard knot of apprehension in her stomach. 

Makoto squirmed again, and strained to see outside the window. "The moon is about to rise . . . I can't smell anything."

"Does it hurt, to become human?"

"No, not really," Makoto said with a shrug, and her still exposed ears twitched. "But it does bother me. Normally, I would never do something so foolish as to leave my home while I was human, but this is for Sesshoumaru."

"You love him," Tomiko guessed. She pinned down another blond curl, and was startled to see it turn to a shiny jet-black, starting from the roots. All of Makoto's hair quickly followed. Her ears disappeared and reformed underneath the coif, displacing a few strands. With a sigh Tomiko reattacked the coif. She wanted it to be perfect.

"How can I not?" a now fully human Makoto asked with a smile. Her ethereal golden skin and hair were both gone, but as a human the hanyou was even more beautiful to Tomiko's eyes. "I don't claim to understand the way his mind works entirely, but I can see that deep down, he's afraid to trust. He doesn't want to love, because it might mean getting hurt in the end. I want to be the one to make him love, to make him trust. I want to heal his heart."

Tomiko nodded, and thought of Inutaisho. The father, unlike the son, wasn't afraid to love, he's just been waiting a long time to fall for someone. A small thrill ran through Tomiko's blood at the thought. Had he been waiting nearly a thousand years . . . for her?

She finally compensated for the newly human ears, and made Makoto stand so she could dress her in her mother's formal court kimono. It was lavender with golden embroidery, and the enormous sleeves gathered softly at her side. Her under kimono were wheat colored and pink, with a narrow contrast obi in deep rose. The outfit had used at least four entire bolts of silk, if not more. She would be a credit to Sesshoumaru in it, even if the style was several years out of date. Tomiko was also wearing a borrowed yukata in moss green with an enormous fuchsia obi, as she would be going with them to act as Makoto's handmaiden.

"You, too, want to heal someone's heart," Makoto said, resuming their conversation as if there hadn't even been a break. "Inutaisho is a good man, although he seems to be an avatar for chaos at the moment. He's utterly besotted with you, too. He's yours if you only wish it."

Tomiko smiled sweetly, the action causing her face to light up. A faint blush tinged her cheeks. "If I do marry him -- or mate him, whatever the term youkai use -- will that make me your stepmother-in-law?"

Makoto blinked for a few moments, and chewed on her lip, considering. Tomiko erupted into a fountain of giggles, and it only took Makoto a few moments to join in. The women laughed for several minutes before gaining their composure.

"Let's be friends instead," Tomiko offered with a grin.

"Okay," Makoto answered, with a matching grin of her own.

They worked on pressing any remaining wrinkles from the silk until a small knock on the door announced Sesshoumaru's arrival. Tomiko hurried to answer it; Makoto dared not move until her train had been settled properly.

Sesshoumaru stood there, nervous as a fifteen-year-old boy courting a girl still in the care of her mother. Tomiko eyed the youkai critically; he wore his usual formal kimono with armor, but for some reason he had added an enormous fur boa. Still high from her bout of giggling earlier, Tomiko found herself laughing harder than she'd ever laughed in her life. She gasped for breath, her eyes streaming, while Sesshoumaru grew increasingly annoyed. Makoto risked ruining her train to see what was going on.

Tomiko could only laugh and point at the fluffy boa. 

"It's current fashion at the court," Sesshoumaru said quietly, vaguely offended. Tomiko only shook her head and continued laughing, clutching her sides, which had begun to ache. 

"Well, I think it's adorable," Makoto said loudly. Sesshoumaru looked over at her, and his eyes widened. Without her usual golden color scheme, and wearing the full court kimono, Makoto seemed like the perfect picture of a proper Japanese lady. All she'd need to do at court was tilt her head forward a little, and she'd leave no doubt that she was nobility.

Tomiko's laughter finally subsided, and the small group moved outside. Sesshoumaru had arrived in a very unusual conveyance. A fancy carriage had been harnessed to a half-dragon, half-horse youkai. The youkai pair snorted and stamped impatiently. They were a minor youkai, a different breed of dragons than the one who had destroyed Kusabana. Intelligence but not sentience shone in their eyes.

"You can't expect to arrive at court in that thing," Makoto said, raising one eyebrow.

"I did not plan on it. We will walk to the court after arriving at my home. There is a glamour on the carriage so that no one can see it in the air."

He helped his lady into the strange conveyance, and then helped Tomiko in as well. They took off into the night air and were soon soaring high over the trees outside Kyoto.

"You're driving them yourself?" Makoto said in admiration.

"Yes, Jaken has still not returned from the task I set him to last month."

"Who is Jaken?" Tomiko asked Makoto in a low voice.

"Sesshoumaru's majordomo. He's been searching for an artifact called the Staff of Heads for Sesshoumaru. I'm not sure exactly what it does, but Sesshoumaru wants it badly. He won't be able to use it, though, as it's an artifact of Jaken's clan."

Tomiko nodded in understanding, although she didn't quite get it.

* * *

On Kyushu, the two mightiest demons in all of Japan were preparing for a battle to the death. Ryukossei, the fierce dragon. Inutaisho, the great dog-demon. There were none their equal in all of Japan, and yet due to circumstances they would have to try to kill one another.

It was casual and gradual. Both youkai, in their full forms, had allowed the other ample time to stretch and limber up. The battle was almost foreordained, although the outcome was unknown. 

Their calm conversation also belied the tension.

"I'm going to give you a fight such as Japan hasn't seen since that gaijin you sealed a hundred and thirty years ago," Ryukossei said solemnly. He still spoke with no humor, although Inutaisho knew it was the closest the dragon would ever come to a joke.

"Not much of a fight then," Inutaisho answered with equal solemnity. "I sealed Menoumaru with hardly a scratch." On the outside, he was as calm and serious as the dragon, but inside his mind was racing with battle strategies. The dragon had several distinct advantages, not the least of which was his enormous size.

They both paused then. On unspoken agreement, they both attacked at the same time. 

The dragon immediately went to his favorite strategy, and tried to wrap his long body around Inutaisho in order to choke the life from him. But Inutaisho had been prepared for such and attack, and he made sure to leave one leg free to slash viciously back, much to the dragon's dismay.

Abandoning his constrictor tactic, the dragon instead wrapped himself around Inutaisho's neck, squeezing his true form's air passage nearly shut. Inutaisho's mighty paws could not gain proper purchase, and before long he was nearly seeing spots. In a desperate effort, he dragged the enormous dragon along with him at top speed toward a mountain, and slammed the side of his neck into one craggy outcrop. The dragon took the full brunt of the crash, and quickly loosened his stranglehold as one of his enormous ribs cracked under the pressure.

The dog decided to go onto the offensive, and pulled the damaged area of the dragon's long body down with one paw, smashing him into the ground. But the dragon had been careful to keep his head free, and he sank his sharp fangs into Inutaisho's shoulder. The taiyoukai yelped in pain, but he didn't have fangs of his own for nothing. He nipped angrily at the dragon's tail, neatly several the last few joints. 

The battle raged on, the outcome still unclear.

* * *

"Well, that was remarkably easy," Makoto said with a satisfied, if slightly feline smile. She had been presented by Sesshoumaru to the Emperor as his wife, and the Emperor had forgiven Sesshoumaru's neglect once he saw the demure young lady. Afterward, the pair had kneeled quietly among the other nobles as court was wrapped up for the day. Tomiko had been behind them the whole time, the knot of apprehension still tight in her stomach. Sometimes she flinched for no reason.

Now, they were walking among the beautiful wooden walls of the palace, as Sesshoumaru showed his "wife" some of the odder splendors of the court. 

"It was indeed. I am indebted to you. Now, this is a sword that was presented to the Emperor as a gift from a lord in the far north. The Emperor was slightly embarrassed and decided to put it here, in the gallery, because while it is a fine weapon, it's a bit . . . ugly."

"It's so old, and rusty!"

"As old as it is, they don't make swords like it anymore. Over here is a bolt of embroidered silk from China that the Empress said looked hideous with her skin tone . . ."

Tomiko stopped to study the sword. The handle, once wrapped in the finest leather, show signs of wear -- the leather was frayed in several places, and the inlay had a few chunks missing. However, Tomiko had always been able to look beneath the surface of things, and she saw that the blade of the katana was still sharp and deadly, and that the hilt still gleamed dully with gold. It was a fine sword indeed, and the Emperor had been foolish not to recognize its worth.

Tomiko started to move one, when a sudden stab of fear lanced through her soul, and she dropped to her knees in mental agony.

"Inutaisho," she cried hoarsely, and resisted the vision as long as she dared. But her mental powers were still raw, and it was not long until she succumbed to her Sight.

* * *

Battered and beaten, both demons kept fighting only through sheer willpower. One of Inutaisho's fangs had been broken, and Ryukossei was distinctly shorter than he had been before the fight. They each had numerous broken bones and internal injuries, and the very mountains were sprayed with their blood.

"This ends NOW," Ryukossei shouted as he made one final, carefully calculated attack. Inutaisho tried weakly to mount a defense, but his forearms were both broken and all but useless. The dragon opened his mouth wide, and to Inutaisho's horror, bored directly into and *through* the dog demon's chest.

Pierced by the living flesh of the dragon, the might dog fell to earth, stunned, and mortally wounded.

Ryukossei slithered through all the way, covered in Inutaisho's blood, his stump already regrowing as he redirected his battle energy to healing. The gray dragon nudged Inutaisho once, twice, before decided that the dog demon was as good as dead. Inutaisho's eyes were glazed over, and his nearly shredded body was nearly drained of blood.

"I pity you, Inutaisho," the leader of the dragon clan said. "Once you fall for a mortal, you leave yourself open to the mortal influences. I had honestly hoped for more of a challenge from you."

Inutaisho did not have the strength to answer. His eyes dimmed further as his life drained away.

Quickly bored, and satisfied with his victory, the dragon left Kyushu for the warmer climes of Osaka to heal.

* * *

Both Sesshoumaru and Makoto were trying to calm a hysterical Tomiko. Their noise had attracted several other courtiers, who peered at the screaming handmaiden with a curiosity borne of ennui.

"He's dead! He's dead! Oh, my dearest Inutaisho . . ." Tomiko kept sobbing.

"Do something, woman," Sesshoumaru commanded Makoto, who was trying to forcibly restrain the hysterical girl.

"I'm trying," Makoto snapped back, then managed to constrain Tomiko in her arms, willing her to gain control of her Sight. The girl immediately calmed as her vision left, and her screams subsided into muffled sobs.

"I saw him die, I saw him die," she repeated over and over again.

Makoto looked at Sesshoumaru desperately, her own face wrought with sorrow. Sesshoumaru's own face remained impassive, until they all became conscious of the mutterings around them.

". . . can't even control her own servant. Is she really a noble lady?"

"She talked back to her husband just then, I'm sure of it . . ."

" . . . said Inutaisho? Her dearest? She's in love with a demon?"

The sadness on Makoto's face was slowly replaced with anger. How dare they! Couldn't they see that Tomiko was distraught? Couldn't they see that she needed attention and support, and love, not accusations and gossip?

Still clutching Tomiko, the hanyou-in-human-form stood up to her full height, which was impressive. Before she had been in the slightly hunched position courtesans used to give their silhouette the distinctive, beautiful S shape. Now, however, they could see that she towered over most everyone else in the room, except her husband.

She opened her mouth to deliver a stinging rebuke that would have destroyed everything she and Sesshoumaru had worked for that evening, but was interrupted by a cackle from above.

Everyone looked up in horror to see an enormous mononoke soaring above their heads. Even Tomiko managed to catch her breath long enough to see the familiar, frightening shape. Her eyes widened to the size of saucers.

Chapter 18: Finale  
  
The mononoke bore down on the crowd, grabbing people's shoulders at random and shaking them, her not-quite-corporeal body going right through them more often than not. Sesshoumaru shielded Makoto's body with his own as they all watched in horror.

"Where is Inutaisho?" the mononoke screeched, searching around, "He must die!" Her voice was laced with years of pain and madness.

"He's already dead!" Tomiko cried, stamping her foot angrily. She had had quite enough of the interfering ex. "And no thanks to you. Why can't you just rest in peace? Why can't you leave us alone?"  
  
Without thinking, much as she had the last time Yumemaru attacked, Tomiko grabbed the old sword from its display case and brandished it. Sesshoumaru couldn't attack his own mother, and now Inutaisho was not here to save them.   
  
"Foolish mortal," the mononoke hissed, her glowing green robes billowing around her tall, thin body. Her gray eyes burned with power, and her blue hair flew out from her flawless, pale face. She was the opposite of Tomiko in many ways. And yet . . .  
  
"It's because you loved him, isn't it?" Tomiko said softly, still holding the raised sword in front of her.   
  
"Silence!" 

"Is that why you came back from the dead? Is that why your soul returned?"  
  
The mononoke began chuckling low in her throat. "I never left, my dear mortal. I was simply biding my time until Inutaisho grew weak enough for me to destroy." Her chuckle developed into a mad cackled, and she threw her head back, pointing one clawed finger at Makoto.

"Her mind was a safe enough place, and had power enough to spare. Aijo's daughter never even realized she had a second person inside her mind all those years."  
  
Makoto's face darkened, and Sesshoumaru had to forcibly restrain her as she suddenly tried to jump Yumemaru.

"But why did you come out now? What made you think Inutaisho had weakened any?" Tomiko wanted answers. The story was finally beginning to make sense. The attacks on Inutaisho's territory . . . on Kusabana . . .  
  
Now the beautiful face was twisted in rage, and her silver eyes burned ever brighter in the dim hallway.

"YOU happened. You tricked my Inutaisho, human. If Inutaisho is dead, then my work here is done. Now I shall kill you too."  
  
Tomiko, to her credit, didn't shake as she faced the demon. The members of the court around quaked in fear but stayed, spellbound by the dramatic scene.   
  
"I can't let you do that," Tomiko said, the faint note of steel in her voice again. "Everything I have loved I have lost this week. I lost my family, my home, and now the man I love. The one thing I have left is my life. I'm not going to throw it away so easily." Tomiko's eyes welled up in her usual silent tears. "Inutaisho did love you, in his own way. But he believed you betrayed him."

"He betrayed ME!"  
  
Tomiko shook her head sadly. "I cannot undo the past, and I will not ask your forgiveness for loving Inutaisho as I did . . as I do. But please," she entreated to the mononoke, "please rest in peace." She lifted the heavy sword once more, and an odd crackle of power swelled around it. She felt as though there were hands behind her, helping her to hold it, and those hands imparted a power to her that could destroy Yumemaru once and for all.

"Do you honestly think I'll do the bidding of my rival?" The taiyoukai swooped low to nearly Tomiko's face.  
  
It wasn't until a few moments later that she realized Tomiko's hands had moved. The sword was embedded in the mononoke's chest.

"I'm sorry," Tomiko whispered.  
  
Yumemaru closed her eyes, a smile curling onto her face.

"Well. The mortal has a backbone after all. I leave you with this . . ." she said, and suddenly gasped for air. "I curse you . . . I curse your firstborn son . . . curse your whole line. This has not been resolved yet. It will have to be done . . . again."  
  
Gravity suddenly reclaimed the taiyoukai, and Tomiko dropped the glowing sword with a clatter. The purifying aura enveloped Yumemaru, until the Death of Dreams was finally no more than a pile of dust.

* * *

Dusk had settled over Kyushu long ago, to be replaced by a crisp, starry night. Inutaisho's body had dropped to its human form soon after the fight with Ryukossei, to conserve energy as it desperately tried to heal.   
  
The dragon had underestimated Inutaisho. Too weak to shred his enormous body as he should have done, Ryukossei had fled with the other taiyoukai intact.  
  
Inutaisho lay still, unmoving, puddles of his true form's blood surround him.  
  
He looked quite dead.   
  
"Well, what's this? This must be the hour of my good fortune! " A tinny voice seemed to come out of nowhere. The source of the voice was a small speck that landed with a tiny smack on the dead taiyoukai's cheek.

"Poor thing. Got in a territory dispute, it seems. Glad I'm not a taiyoukai and I don't have to deal with this."  
  
The speck sank his teeth into the tender flesh of the taiyoukai's cheek.  
  
With a loud SMACK, Inutaisho instinctively slapped the flea demon.  
  
His eyes snapped open. In the cool night of the tropical forest of Kyushu, they burned with anger and fire.  
  
Alive. He was alive.

* * *

Tomiko had been surprised when the emperor insisted she keep the old sword. Makoto and Sesshoumaru both told her she earned it -- although Sesshoumaru spoke with a strained voice and a pained look in his eyes. Makoto, still in her human form, had pulled him home, and mouthed to Tomiko to follow behind.  
  
They would stay in Kyoto that night. None of them had the energy to go back to the hanyou's hut.  
  
Tomiko cradled the sword. She felt empty; what everyone at court had called a smashing victory meant nothing to her.  
  
Inutaisho was dead. The youkai -- no, the man -- who had taken in a human serving girl and turned her into a woman was gone. The idea of living without him when he was the one who thought her how to live was impossible.  
  
She stopped outside Sesshoumaru's mansion home, and stared up at the calm stars that shone, while the ancient city of Kyoto mirrored it below with the light of a thousand lamps.   
  
"I'll live my life, though, with the small hope of a miraculous encounter," she quoted softly. "I know I shall see him again."

Then she felt a new burning in her blood.

"Don't be stupid," she whispered to herself in denial. But the burning was strong. She began weeping silently again.  
  
Inutaisho was alive! She should have known that he wouldn't die that easily. Yet . . . he had been dead . . . only divine providence could have saved him at that point.  
  
For once, she gave into her tears and leaned heavily against the sword in the middle of the street, sobbing for joy. He lived. He still lived, and would live on for years to come.

"Thank you, kami-sama, Buddha-sama, all gods and goddesses who may be," she prayed through her tears. 

* * *

With a groan Inutaisho sat up and took in the battered state of his body. There was a gaping hole in the left side of his chest, but it was already healing rapidly. Somehow, Ryukossei had missed his heart and simply pierced a lung. It still hurt like hell, but a youkai's only completely vulnerable spot was his heart.  
  
He looked down at the squished flea in his hand. With a pop! the flea returned to his normal size.

"Ah! Glad to see you're not dead, sir!" the flea said cheerfully.

"I'm glad, too" Inutaisho said, and looked around him at the great pools of blood. "I'm going to be dehydrated for a while." 

" Those look like the claws of dragons, but I wasn't aware that the dragons were seeking territory this far west now." 

"This wasn't a fight over territory." Inutaisho explained, and poked idly at his left canine, which had been snapped in two at some point during the battle. Pulled out, it would regrow, but broken it would forever be there as a reminder of his bitter loss of Kyushu. "The dragons oppose my mating choice." 

"I see," the little flea said. "I'm Myouga." 

"I am Inutaisho."  
  
The flea nearly face faulted. "Inutaisho? THE Inutaisho? The Lord of the Western Lands?" 

"Not anymore. The only reason I survived is that Ryukossei was too weakened to bother finishing me. It's a mistake he won't make again."

Inutaisho's face hardened, and he felt horrible and weak. The loss of Kyushu burned in his heart, but it was secondary to the pain he felt at the loss of Tomiko. You wait a thousand years to meet the mate of your heart, he thought bitterly, only to lose her because you suddenly turn out to be weak as a kitten.  
  
At least he would be able to ask Makoto what the dragon had meant by Yumemaru protecting her. There were other hanyou out there as well, but Makoto was the only child of a taiyoukai in all of Nihon who hadn't died at an early age. Now he knew why. 

"Hmmm. So your true form isn't strong enough to defeat his true form." The demon flea looked thoughtful. "Then that means you must find a way to defeat him in your human form, instead."  
  
Inutaisho laughed hollowly. "Now that's impossible. How can a youkai in human form ever hope to defeat a taiyoukai in true form?" 

"You'll have to figure out some way, because if any youkai sees your true form again word will get back to Ryukossei. Perhaps a sword?"  
  
Inutaisho looked sharply at the young flea. An idea was beginning to form in his mind, and he idly fingered the broken canine. 

"A sword that could defeat a taiyoukai would have to be strong. And it would have to have powers beyond a mortal sword." 

"You should see Toutousai," Myouga suggested. "If anyone could craft a demon sword of that power, he could." 

"I have been to Toutousai before. Yes . . . it would have to suppress my instinct to transform into my true form. And it would have to throw power from a distance . . . and it would have to be strong enough to break through a dragon's hide . . ."  
  
"Toutousai would be able to do it. "  
  
"Yes. But regular steel won't be strong enough."   
  
Inutaisho stood up. He was sore and battered all over, but he was determined to protect Tomiko, no matter what. The dragons thrived on the fear humans held for youkai; they would kill Tomiko just because. He had to protect her.  
  
And he wanted to see her again. 

"I'm going to Edo." 

"This unworthy one would be more than happy to accompany you," the flea youkai said hopefully. 

"Fine. I appreciate that. What once was a few hour's journey will take me all night." 

"You should rest first, sir," Myouga protested, jumping up and down to emphasize his point. 

"I can't. Not while my mate lies in danger."  
  
The two set out toward Edo, although Inutaisho stopped to pick up the large chunk of fang that had been broken off. 

"We'll be stopping near Kyoto to see her. She's probably worried about me." 

"Who were you going to mate that made the dragons so angry? One of them? One of the minor youkai?" 

"A human."  
  
Myouga, for the first time since meeting Inutaisho, was stunned speechless.

* * *

Tomiko rose the next day from her borrowed futon in Sesshoumaru's home with a splitting headache and few memories of the events of the night before. Then she looked down to the sword she had fallen asleep cradling, and remembered.  
  
She had killed Yumemaru.  
  
Had she actually killed her, though? The mononoke had already died; it was her vengeful spirit that had lived on as a parasite in Makoto's mind. Yumemaru hadn't really been alive to have been killed.  
  
The curse she had hurled on Tomiko bothered her, too. Her first-born son would bear the same fate as she herself did. What did that mean? Would he fall in love with a taiyoukai, only to learn that father of the taiyoukai's son was still around and wanted them both dead? She shuddered at the fate that her children might have to face. She didn't quite believe that the curse was real, however. Yumemaru hadn't had any power of her own at that point. 

"Tomiko?" Makoto's uncertain voice came through the door. Tomiko rose and slid the door open, revealing the hanyou wearing a different robe than she had the night before. The carefully arrange coif was down and her hair was in total disarray. Tomiko had a sudden vision of what had gone on the night before, and quickly blocked it since she wanted to respect her friend's privacy. 

"What is it, Makoto-chan?"  
  
The hanyou broke into a grin, unable to keep the secret any longer. 

"Inutaisho is here. You were wrong. He survived the battle."  
  
Tomiko felt as though a great weight were lifted from her heart. She ran past Makoto without another word, and didn't stop until she barreled full speed into Inutaisho. 

"Oh, my lord, you're alive," she cried into his arms.   
  
Inutaisho hugged her right back in a bone-crushing embrace. "I don't plan on dying just yet, love," he said, and then pushed her away so he could look at her. "Why are you crying?" 

"Because I'm so happy!" she said, smiling through her tears. 

"So this is the cause of the battle," a tinny voice broke through. "One so fair was more than worthy of a fight of that scale." A speck leapt off Inutaisho's shoulder and landed on Tomiko's. "I am Myouga, your humble servant from this day forth, my lady." 

"Myouga saved my life," Inutaisho explained. "Without him I wouldn't have even realized I was still alive." 

"You have my eternal gratitude," she told the flea. "But what do you mean, I caused the fight?" She frowned at Inutaisho, who looked away in sadness. 

"The dragons attacked me because I met you." 

"But Inuaoiryu did so before --"  
  
"He was possessed by Yumemaru. It wasn't his will. I need to talk to Makoto about that, actually."  
  
The hanyou stepped into the room then, followed by Sesshoumaru, who looked as equally rumpled as she did.   
  
"It's all my fault. She was living in my mind all that time, and because a Seer's sight cannot see their own future -- or present -- I never even noticed her. She's been with me my entire life and I never even noticed. When I grew angry at Sesshoumaru . . . she picked up that agitation and fled." Makoto shook her head. "She wasn't even a real mononoke; she was really just a bad memory. A powerful memory, but just a memory nonetheless."  
  
The four in the room digested that a bit -- one human, one hanyou, and two youkai, bound by fate and blood. Inutaisho squeezed Tomiko reassuringly.  
  
Tomiko's usual tears began, and then she remembered the sword she even now clutched in one hand. 

"I'm sorry," she told Inutaisho, and handed him the sword. "I . . . I killed Yumemaru. With this sword." 

"No," Sesshoumaru interrupted. "She had been killed before. That was not my mother. Like Makoto said, she was only a bad memory."  
  
Tomiko looked deep in Inutaisho's eyes, looking for any sign of condemnation from him. She saw only concern for herself. 

"I am glad you were not hurt," he said, and Tomiko nearly wilted in relief. He looked at the sword thoughtfully. 

"You can have it," she said to him. "I have no use for a sword." 

"I have a very good use for it. Thank you." The two looked at each other tenderly, but somewhat awkwardly. Too much had happened over the past week. Makoto and Sesshoumaru noticed their anxiety. 

"Please excuse us," Makoto said, and she and Sesshoumaru left them alone again. 

"I felt you die," Tomiko whispered, burrowing her head into Inutaisho's heart as if to reassure herself that he was real.   
  
"I think I did die, a little. But I . . . I still want to live. I can't die completely yet." 

"Neither can I. There's still so much left for me to do now. I want to explore this gift of Sight I have . . . I want to learn all about the world. I still don't know how I learned to read."  
  
Inutaisho smiled teasingly. "What, you don't want to spend the rest of your life with me?"  
  
Tomiko blinked at him owlishly for a moment, the smiled back at him. "Of course I do, you silly. I love you."  
  
There. She had said it.   
  
"And I love you."  
  
She could feel the truth in his words, and she kissed him spontaneously. Myouga the flea took that as his cue to leave. 

"I'm sorry, I lost my lands at Kyushu," Inutaisho said between kisses. 

"That's all right. I had too many bad memories of my own there." 

"We'll make ourselves a new home. Would you like to live near Edo?" 

"I'd love it. Although I want to be able to visit Makoto sometimes." 

"That's fine. In the meantime . . . we need to see about getting married." 

"Do demons even bother with wedding ceremonies?" 

"It's exactly the same as a human wedding. I'll give the matter to Natsumi. She loves planning social events." 

"She had better not invite the dragons."  
  
Inutaisho laughed and kissed her again, and the two decided to meet up with Sesshoumaru and Makoto.  
  
Tomiko was happier than she'd ever been before. She had given up a lot over the last week, but she'd gained so much more.  
  
She'd gained the love of a youkai who would cherish her and love her forever. She'd discovered a part of herself that she'd never known existed; what had once been the uncanny ability to sense the truth was now the ability to see the past and the future. And most importantly she had discovered herself. She was not a weak-willed serving girl. She was not ugly or hated by everyone. She was simply herself, a woman, and she felt as though she could take on the whole world now.

* * *

fic finished Dec 25th 2001 

final revision Sep 4th 2002


	4. Glossary

**Glossary of Terms:**

**Ai no Chikara** – "Power of love." **Ai shite'ru **– _lit.  _"I love you" _ with connotations of forever and ever._ **Akio** – _(lit.  "living dawn";)_  A Japanese name for the star Sirius, the Dog Star.  **Bara no Cha** -- _(lit.  "tea-rose")_  A teahouse (Japanese restaurant / nightclub / brothel-type place)  in the made-up city of Kusabana.  **Geta** – Japanese wooden sandals.  Basically standard footwear.  Some geta have thicker heels to make the wearer taller. **** · Hanyou – _(lit.  "half-demon"; from manga, anime, and so forth)_  A half human, half youkai.  **Happi** – Japanese short men's jacket.  Worn over kimono or with hakama (poofy pleated pants.)  **Inuaoiryu** – _(lit.  "dog blue dragon"; name made up)_  Inutaisho's young cousin.  Inunatsu's little brother. **Inunatsu** – _(lit.  "dog summer"; name made up)_  Inutaisho's cousin.  The most elite of demons, she reigns as the gossip and social queen of youkai Japan.  **Inutaisho** – _(lit.  "dog great demon"; name taken from anime and movie)  _The Lord of the Western Lands (Kyushu) and greatest dog demon in all of Japan.  **Kami** – Japanese gods or good spirits.  Although sometimes used in the singular context, _kami-sama_ is almost exclusively for the plural of the pantheon.  **Kimono** – Article of Japanese clothing.  Both men and women wear them.  They are basically long silk bathrobes with excessively large sleeves.  Summer kimono tend to have shorter sleeves, and are made of cotton; these are called _yukata._ **Makoto** –  _(lit.  "wood"; fairly common Japanese name)_ A hanyou that lives on Sesshoumaru's lands. **Miko** – A Japanese Shinto shrine maiden (often translated as "priestess".)  A miko is thought to have purifying powers. **Mononoke **– Another type of youkai; mononoke are particularly _vengeful_ spirits.  _Mononoke-hime_, for example, translates best into "monster princess out for BLOOD."  Nice description of San, when you think about it. **Obi** – Silk belt worn with a kimono.  A women's obi is usually very wide, while a men's obi is narrower.  Women's obi are quite long and can be tied in elaborate bows. **Omae o korosu – **_lit. "_I'll kill you." **Sesshoumaru** – _(lit.  "the destruction of life"; an alternate _kanji_ would mean "regent" instead.  Oh, those wacky puns.)_  As if I need to explain him!  Fluffy is a mere 21 years old in this fic. **Sugoi **– _lit_.:  "Awesome!"_ or  _"Incredible!" **Tabu** – Two-toed socks worn with geta.  **Taiyoukai** – _(lit.  "great demon"; used in anime and manga.)_  The term used to describe powerful demons. **The Kokinshuu** – A collection of ancient Japanese court poetry.  Great stuff ^_^ **Tomiko –** _(lit.  "treasure-girl"; common Japanese girl's name)_  A serving girl in the Bara no Cha. **Youkai** – A Japanese spirit demon.  These supernatural beings are enchanted flesh and blood, and the spirits may even come from inanimate objects as well as animals and plants.  Japanese demons can be good or evil, but once they are purified they often lose their powers and die.  **Youki **– _(from manga)_  A youkai's energy aura.  **Yumeko / Yumemaru** – _(lit.  "dream girl / dream circle" [-maru _(circle)_  is added to common words to make them masculine names.])  _Sesshoumaru's late mother.  


End file.
